In the silent courtyard of the mansion, Ji Yuan and his two companions climbed over the wall and tiptoed towards the gatehouse.
To the side of the main gate, there was a row of three or four small rooms, serving as both the gatekeepers' residences and resting places for the guards.
However, at this moment, these rooms were not only empty but also filled with a faint smell of blood, yet there were no signs of a fight or any other trace.
After inspecting the rooms, Ji Yuan's expression turned somber. He spoke in a low voice to the two beside him, "Although the smell of blood is light, it should have been here for a day or two."
Xu Qiqi and Jiang He exchanged glances, both seeing the seriousness reflected in each other's eyes.
After two days, a distinct smell of blood still lingered, implying that a large amount of blood must have been exposed to the air at the time. Even draining the blood of two or three people might not leave such a trace.
After all, the doors and windows of these rooms were open, making it difficult for any odor to remain for so long.
"Be careful."
Ji Yuan glanced at the two and then proceeded deeper into the mansion.
The Zhao family's mansion occupied a vast area. The front courtyard, used for receiving guests and housing servants, was three times the size of a normal residence. The backyard, where family members and maids resided, was an astonishing five times that size.
Even the county yamen's area was likely less than half of this place.
Passing through the courtyard by the main gate, the three arrived at a hall used for guests to wait.
A faint smell of blood still permeated this place, and the tables and chairs, which were originally neatly arranged, were now smashed. Everything in sight was in disarray.
On some parts of the floor and walls, there were still traces of fighting, either marks left by swords, spears, or clubs, or disordered footprints with a hint of darkened bloodstains.
"No large bloodstains, or dead bodies."
Jiang He surveyed the surroundings and then said in a low voice.
This was precisely the most peculiar point. If there were bodies, it would be easier to deal with. But such intense fighting must have involved copious amounts of blood, yet not a single trace was visible.
Only some footprints, mixed with a bit of mud, showed a hint of blood.
An unknown gust of wind blew, whistling around their ears, adding a chilling and eerie atmosphere to the place.
Ji Yuan said nothing but silently walked towards the depths of the mansion. The corridors and courtyards they passed along the way all exuded a faint smell of blood.
However, apart from the hall where they first entered, there were no other signs of disarray, as if all the fighting had been concentrated in one spot.
As they walked, the three did not see any living person. The entire mansion was shrouded in an eerie silence, as if it had been abandoned for decades.
"There's light over there!"
As they entered a courtyard, Xu Qiqi pointed to the distance and exclaimed softly.
Ji Yuan immediately turned to look and saw that on a wooden building in the distance, beams of candlelight flickered in the night.
Judging by the style of the wooden building, it appeared to be a place like a library. From afar, it was about seven stories high, with bright candlelight lit on each floor.
Seeing this, the anxiety in his heart finally subsided. Since there was still candlelight, it meant that there were survivors in the mansion, and thus the evil entity had not yet achieved its ultimate goal.
As for who it was that survived the clutches of the evil spirit, it was almost a foregone conclusion that it must be Old Master Zhao.
Although this old man was nearly sixty years old, his martial arts skills were undoubtedly the strongest in the Zhao family. Even within a radius of several hundred miles of Qianyu City, he could be ranked among the top three.
"Should we go there?"
Jiang He asked.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan gently shook his head. They had to go, of course, but they couldn't just rush in blindly. Who knew what dangers lay hidden ahead.
If the evil entity had deliberately set a trap, waiting for someone to fall into it, the consequences would be unimaginable.
After a moment of deliberation, a sharp glint flashed in Ji Yuan's eyes. He suddenly turned to the two beside him and asked, "Do you like playing with fire?"
Xu Qiqi and Jiang He exchanged glances, not understanding why he would suddenly ask this until they saw him pull a large handful of fire-attribute talismans from his sleeve, a bold guess began to form in their minds.
A moment later, the front courtyard of the Zhao family mansion was ablaze with light. The fierce flames almost engulfed the entire front courtyard, spreading so widely that from afar, it looked like a fire dragon.
Such a commotion naturally alerted the evil entity lurking there. Streams of sinister energy gathered rapidly, swirling ceaselessly above the mansion.
As the eerie wind appeared, three figures, taking advantage of the cover of the flames, quietly and swiftly approached the seven-story wooden building.
Ji Yuan and the others were naturally aware of the evil wind swirling in the sky, but they did not wish to confront it prematurely. After all, with the entire Zhao family reduced to such a state, it was unlikely that the three of them would fare any better by rashly advancing.
However, things often did not go as planned. Although the three did not wish to engage with the opponent too early, the evil wind swirling above the mansion soon discovered them.
The sinister energy howled in, stirring up countless dust and fallen leaves, instantly obscuring the three's vision and circling around them.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan let out a cold snort. The talismans he had prepared were all thrown out in all directions. As the essence ignited the talisman cores, these talismans instantly emitted bright light.
In an instant, nine talismans transformed into tongues of fire, which quickly plunged into the evil wind.
The saying goes that wind fuels fire, and fire borrows wind's power. In just a few blinks of an eye, the tongues of fire merged into the evil wind, transforming into raging flames that enveloped the three.
However, before the evil wind could gather itself, a scream sounded out of thin air, followed by a surge of abundant yang energy erupting from the flames.
The yang energy, like the scorching sun, was the nemesis of all Yin and evil spirits. Ordinary Yin souls and malevolent spirits would feel as if they were being immersed in boiling oil upon contact, and if the exposure lasted too long, they would be directly annihilated.
The evil wind, with arrogant confidence, devoured the flames, not expecting them to contain such potent yang energy. It had indeed been a case of "drawing fire to burn oneself."
"Go!"
Ji Yuan let out a low cry. Without paying attention to the screaming and wailing evil entity in the yang fire, he led the two behind him and sprinted forward.
They each took out a talisman. As soon as its power was activated, a layer of azure water vapor enveloped them, preventing the flames raging in the evil wind from harming them in the slightest.
Although normal living beings were not afraid of yang energy, these scorching flames were unbearable.
In a moment, the three passed through the yin wind filled with roaring yang fire, climbed over several high courtyard walls, and arrived at the courtyard where the seven-story wooden building stood.
The moment they set foot in the courtyard, the three involuntarily stumbled back several steps, and then, unable to suppress it, bent over and vomited out the contents of their stomachs.
After emptying their stomachs, bitter bile began to surge back up.
This courtyard was filled with a thick, impenetrable stench. Hundreds of maids, servants, and guards lay dead here, their decay far exceeding the norm.
If that were all, the bloodstains that could not be found in the front courtyard hall were now present here, and even then, they were merely a drop in the ocean.
An unknown amount of blood had been poured here, seeping into the soil and emitting a strong smell of blood.
The rotting stench filling the air, the strong smell of blood, coupled with the sight of eyes that died with endless despair, almost caused the three to collapse mentally.
"What happened in this place... exactly?"
Ji Yuan forcibly held his breath, gazing at the hellish scene before him, and couldn't help but murmur to himself.
He subconsciously glanced behind him, looking at the evil wind engulfed in yang fire, and couldn't imagine what kind of evil entity would commit such heinous acts.
Even the demons that wreaked havoc in the region would likely not do such a thing!
"Not good! Let's go!"
Ji Yuan shouted, pulling the two beside him, who had vomited bile, and quickly ran towards the seven-story wooden building in the distance.
Behind them, the vast expanse of firelight was gradually weakening. After all, a few yang fire talismans could not directly kill that evil entity.
Once the entity was no longer constrained by the yang fire, it would inevitably launch a fierce assault on them. And an evil entity capable of almost slaughtering the entire Zhao family was clearly not something that could be dealt with by ordinary means.
At this moment, the three endured the strange sensation with every step they took, from the soles of their feet to the tips of their scalps, wishing that everything was just an illusion, or that they were in a nightmare and would wake up completely in an instant.
Finally, the three passed through that purgatory and arrived outside the door of the seven-story wooden building.
"Open the door!"
Ji Yuan shouted loudly, suppressing the urge to retch.
In fact, he didn't even need to shout. The door of the wooden building opened before their eyes.
Seeing this, the three immediately rushed into the wooden building. Behind them, the yin wind, having escaped the scorching of the yang fire, also swept forward with a whistling sound.
However, it was still a step too late. It crashed against the door, which was re-closed at the same time. Simultaneously, sheets of Confucian scriptures, inscribed with golden paint, appeared on the walls and doors and windows of the wooden building.
In the next breath, a piercing scream echoed throughout the night sky.
The evil entity, transformed into yin wind, lingered outside the wooden building unwillingly, not leaving for a long time. It was only after half an incense stick that it returned to the depths of the Zhao family mansion with a whistling sound.
"Daoist Ji... why are you here?"
A surprised voice sounded from within the wooden building.
Ji Yuan looked up at the sound, breathing in the odorless air, and looked forward. He saw a weary Old Master Zhao being supported by two old servants.
At this moment, Old Master Zhao looked as if he had aged twenty years in a single breath compared to two days ago. His once bright eyes were now dim, and even his hair had turned white.
He did not immediately answer the question but turned to look at other parts of the wooden building.
On the first floor of the large wooden building, besides Old Master Zhao and the two old servants beside him, there were over a dozen injured guards and seven or eight strong servants, among whom was Zhao Shengcai, whom he knew.
As for the stairs leading to the second floor, although the situation above could not be seen, the sounds alone suggested that there were many female family members.
"Old Master Zhao, you should first tell us what happened to the Zhao family these past two days."
Ji Yuan, having recovered his breath, looked at the old man before him with a solemn expression.