YaoLingLu

Chapter5:Exorcists

After devouring the guards, the Gluttony Spirit reached into the temple, groping around as if searching for something.

The people scrambled to avoid being the next meal, fearing for their lives. The brother and sister found safety behind the statue, where the Gluttony Spirit's large hand seemed unable to reach.

Suddenly, the Gluttony Spirit's hand found a cage tucked away in a corner and pulled it out, seemingly finding what it was looking for.

With one hand holding the cage, the Gluttony Spirit counted the number of people inside.

Roar...

A thunderous roar echoed through the forest!

Something seemed amiss with the number of people in the cage, enraging the Gluttony Spirit, who angrily slammed the cage to the ground...

With a loud "c***k," the Gluttony Spirit forcefully lifted the roof of the temple, emitting a piercing sound.

The crowd screamed in terror, "It's a... monster!!!"

The creature looked around, its eyes filled with horror and ferocity, as if searching for something.

Finally, it spotted the brother and sister behind the stone statue, immediately extending its massive, elongated hand with sharp, hook-like fingers, ready to grab them.

A small hole suddenly appeared in the chest of the Gluttony Spirit, emitting a foul-smelling purple gas continuously.

Subsequently, the small hole gradually widened into a c***k, as if a flaming blade had been inserted internally, slicing through the skin with a sizzling sound. The c***k grew larger and larger, causing the Gluttony Spirit to experience intense pain. It writhed in agony, emitting deafening howls of pain! A large amount of purple gas gushed out, causing the Gluttony Spirit's body to tremble violently before collapsing stiffly to the ground.

"What... what's happening?" The Taoist priest was at a loss as he watched the Gluttony Spirit suddenly fall.

The crowd quickly ran out to assess the situation, while the guards shielded the Taoist priest and the young girl, watching the Gluttony Spirit's body warily.

At that moment, a humanoid creature sliced open the Gluttony Spirit's belly and emerged, brandishing a sharp blade. The onlookers were instantly horrified! This humanoid creature was completely red, with bulging muscles covered in chaotic runes and surrounded by an unknown purple aura. It appeared somewhat human-like, yet not entirely human in appearance.

Just as the guards were preparing to move forward to investigate...

"Wait, I am human!" The man stepped back and transformed back into his normal appearance.

"You... Are you Wang?" The Taoist recognized the man's face after he returned to his original form, realizing he was Wang who had suddenly died the night before.

Without a word, Wang took out a bronze token and shone it on the Gluttony Spirit, as if inputting something.

"Could it be..." The Taoist seemed to have some understanding.

"Uncle, do you know where this person comes from?" The girl became curious.

"Yes, I have some guesses. If I'm not mistaken, he should be the exorcist recorded in the court's files, sent here to cleanse the rampant ghosts and monsters. He joined us to use us as a cover, waiting for the opportunity to strike the Gluttony Spirit with a fatal blow!" The Taoist shared his speculation, likely not far from the truth.

"Would an exorcist be recorded?" A guard raised a question.

"Of course they would be recorded. Why else would ghosts and monsters no longer run rampant across the land after the founding of the Great Han Dynasty? It's all thanks to these exorcists suppressing them." The Taoist answered.

"Wait.... A few years ago, the house was haunted, and the strange Taoist priest invited by my father was an exorcist? The girl had a flash of inspiration, as if she had seen such a person before.

"Yes, that's right. So, my mistress, we must make friends with such extraordinary individuals who can deal with these monsters. In the future, when we go to Qingcheng City, we may need their help."

"Okay, I understand," the girl replied.

Wang muttered to himself as he held the token in front of the Gluttony Spirit's body, as if reciting a spell. The token flashed with golden light, and where the light touched, the flesh and bones of the Gluttony Spirit ignited and turned into mist, absorbed by the token.

At that moment, a boy holding his sister's fair hand walked to the door and witnessed this scene, his mouth agape and his eyes fixed on the sight.

After the matter was settled, the Taoist immediately went up to converse with Wang.

The Taoist first bowed respectfully and inquired, "May I ask if you are the exorcist appointed by the current court?"

The exorcist returned the greeting, saying, "Yes, I am the wandering exorcist Chan in this place. ' Wang' is just an alias I used to infiltrate the group to eliminate this monster."

Upon hearing Chan's explanation, the Taoist did not say much more, understanding that he had saved everyone's lives.

"May I ask if your destination is Qingcheng City? If so, you can ride in the carriage with us to avoid exhaustion and fatigue on the journey," the Taoist offered.

"Indeed, I am heading to Qingcheng City. I can also accompany you for protection, but I will only provide assistance up to three times," Chan replied.

"Thank you very much for your help," the Taoist bowed again.

Chan returned the gesture.

"How did it go?" The girl couldn't help but ask as she saw the Taoist return to the fire outside the temple.

"He has agreed to protect us on the way, offering assistance up to three times. As we will be seeking refuge in Qingcheng City, I don't know what we may encounter. I hope he will keep his promise," the Taoist explained.

The girl sighed, her expression turning somewhat desolate. "If father hadn't sought help from that person..."

"Bro." The little sister tightly held onto her brother's arm, her two cute big eyes looking up at him.

"Are we really never going back home this time?"

Upon hearing her sister's question, the brother's eyes were filled with sorrow.

"We can't go back, it's true... We can't go back..."

"The children who were with us have all died. The adults in the village will definitely not allow us to return."

"What about father and mother?"

"If they cared about us, maybe we wouldn't have been treated as sacrifices..." With that, the brother's eyes grew even more desolate, but he knew he had to stay strong because now it was just him and his sister.

"Chan, your kindness is noble! Our brotherhood will remember your grace for a thousand years. You saved our lives, and in the future, if you need us, we will not hesitate to face any danger!" The captain of the guards expressed his gratitude to Chan Zheng, with the other guards echoing his sentiments.

The guards raised their bowls of wine and drank them all in one go.

Chan also raised his bowl and drank it all, chatting and laughing, creating a lively atmosphere.

The firelight illuminated the faces of the people, but between them and the lonely brother and sister sitting on the steps, it seemed like there was a wall separating two worlds.