22. The Eerie Obstruction

It had been quite a while by the time Ye Lu returned to his carriage.

Pushing aside the door curtain, he found both Xi Mingren and Ghost Scholar inside. Hearing the movement, they turned in unison toward the entrance. Due to the recent exchange of dry rations and supplies, the once-spacious carriage now felt somewhat cramped. The large water vats had been filled by the pair and resealed with leaves. Dry rations were stacked high, and when Ye Lu had approached earlier, he had even seen bundles of green grass, clearly fodder for the Great Green Ox.

"You're back," Ghost Scholar said, raising an eyebrow as he spoke first. "How did the weapon turn out?"

Xi Mingren remained silent, but upon hearing Ghost Scholar, he stared intently at Ye Lu, tilting his head in curiosity.

Ye Lu entered the carriage and sat beside the tea table. He couldn't help but appreciate Ghost Scholar’s foresight; after Xi Mingren had chopped off the legs of that dilapidated table to adjust its height, it fit perfectly, with one side against the carriage wall and the remaining three sides providing space for each of them.

Without a word, Ye Lu placed the Bone Lamp on the table.

The temperature in the carriage plummeted instantly.

"…!" Ghost Scholar paused, his voice catching as he stared fixedly at the weapon on the table. A faint shimmer flickered across the surface of the Bone Lamp. "A Spirit Artifact?" he whispered.

"Spirit Artifact" was a term used by players in the Star-Net instances from his previous life, generally referring to weapons that were either naturally born or associated with deities—the latter being the vast majority. Most of these artifacts possessed sentience due to the process of "spirit awakening," which was the origin of their name.

Of course, that was not the most crucial detail. The true significance lay in the fact that Spirit Artifacts possessed the highest growth potential. In their previous life, the three brothers had struggled immensely to acquire such weapons, suffering many losses before finally obtaining three, all of which were subsequently destroyed in a single death.

"It was luck," Ye Lu replied with a nod. Seeing that Ghost Scholar’s reaction matched his expectations, he felt quite pleased and, in a rare moment of lightheartedness, explained, "This world is powerful; most materials possess spiritual essence, making the process of spirit awakening much easier than in other worlds." This, however, also signaled the extreme dangers of this world.

Ye Lu felt it clearly—when he had recited the words of the covenant, the Snake Gods had responded. It might have been merely the reaction of one of their countless avatars, but it underscored the difference between this Bone Lamp and ordinary weapons. Ye Lu looked forward to seeing the lamp’s devastating potential in battle.

Ghost Scholar’s initial shock soon faded into calmness. While Spirit Artifacts were rare, once he considered his master's identity, he had the distinct feeling that this was only to be expected. In a way, it felt as though the artifact had arrived late rather than early. Perhaps the destiny of this world had been slow to realize that a Son of Mount Tai had arrived, and had scrambled to deliver its favor.

"..." Ghost Scholar smiled as he always did, though his mind was racing with various cynical thoughts about the world. He had long since grown accustomed to his master's luck.

The birth of the Spirit Artifact was beyond their expectations, but after the surprise came joy. With this weapon, Ye Lu’s combat prowess would reach a new level. One should never mistake the Son of Mount Tai for someone who simply possessed great strength; Mount Tai was important, but the title "Son of God" was even more so. This realization brought a sense of complete stability to the three of them.

Ghost Scholar and Xi Mingren’s expressions softened significantly.

"Are we leaving today?" Having discussed the weapon, Ye Lu finally had the mind to ask about what he had seen earlier. With the ox's fodder prepared, it made sense; they had been in this village for quite some time.

"Yes. Chief Helan sent someone over last night to say we are leaving today. We’ve been here a while, and the water in the village well has been replenishing more and more slowly," Ghost Scholar said, nodding. This indicated that they had not yet escaped the drought and remained within the affected region.

"Our water vats are full, and the dry rations are all prepared. Xi helped a great deal yesterday." Perhaps misinterpreting Ye Lu’s thoughtful silence as worry, Ghost Scholar added with a smile, implying they were ready to depart at any moment without need for a frantic rush.

Everything had been settled days ago. They had all bathed, leaving clean and refreshed.

"Seventh Uncle He brought over the clothes for the three of us as well," Ghost Scholar said, gesturing with his chin toward a stack of neatly folded garments on a box cover.

They were robes of black and cyan, stitched with fine, dense thread that clearly spoke of a skilled hand. Pleased, Ye Lu nodded in acknowledgement.

As the three discussed their logistics—such as who would keep watch over the carriage on the road—it was mentioned that Seventh Uncle He had also delivered a box filled with green millet, imbued with traces of spectral energy. He had claimed this was the compensation Helan had promised Ye Lu from the village.

"Seventh Uncle said this is most of the village's remaining stock. They won't touch the rest; it’s all being saved for when they reach a market or encounter a merchant caravan," Ghost Scholar recounted.

Ye Lu recalled the last harvest. Based on the yield of green millet—the stalks and ears of which he had observed—and the fact that it was harvested every three years, it was clear there should have been more. "I suspect they are planning for the future," he murmured.

Ye Lu understood; the village feared the difficulties of reaching unfamiliar lands. It wasn't just the journey that was hard; breaking new ground in a new place was equally taxing. The remaining millet was their foundation, a communal matter that no one was permitted to touch. Especially since the millet could only remain as seedlings while being transported, unable to grow or bear fruit.

It was only because the village truly valued Ye Lu’s talent that they had scraped together this portion from their last reserves. "Auntie Lan is very thoughtful," Ye Lu remarked. He felt the solidarity of his kin in this world; because they wanted to survive, they were generous toward talented descendants. He understood the significant role Helan had played in this.

As Helan had announced, the departure was set for that afternoon. Sure enough, by dusk, a member of the guard team came to call them.

*Knock, knock!*

The sound echoed against the carriage, followed by a familiar voice—it was the eldest son of Aunt Huang next door, the boy who served in the guard team.

"Time is up! We are leaving; follow the ox cart in front!"

"Understood!" Ghost Scholar replied in a loud voice.

The person outside seemed to hear them, as his footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

"I’ll drive!" Seeing the expressions of his two brothers, Xi Mingren knew they had more to discuss. He stood up with practiced ease and moved outside, though he left the curtain partially open to ensure he could hear what was happening inside.

The ox cart began to move slowly.

Inside the cramped carriage, Ye Lu and Ghost Scholar exchanged a look as they began to tally their supplies. Overall, they had three large vats of water, ensuring at least half a month of supply. They had dry rations, plenty of meat, and bags of flour, mostly cornmeal with some white millet.

After finishing their count, they felt a sense of relief. It was fortunate that the Yellow-rank Vine Wraith had arrived when it did; trading its meat had not only provided materials for their weapon but also a wealth of supplies. Even the villagers had been willing to trade white millet for it, which could supplement their needs if the green millet ran low.

"We must continue to hunt spectral plants!" Ye Lu concluded with a frown. Having tasted green millet, he knew the benefits of such spectral food; white millet was fine, but it couldn't compare.

"We can plant the laurel tree once we reach our destination," Ghost Scholar said, soothingly. He understood Ye Lu’s urgency; his master wanted them to regain their strength as soon as possible, and spectral food was the best way.

As they chatted, the ox cart gradually came to a halt.

Ye Lu and Ghost Scholar stopped talking and looked outside. Then, Xi Mingren’s voice came, alert and serious: "There is a haunting!"

Ye Lu didn't stop to talk to Ghost Scholar. He pushed the curtain aside in two strides, his eyes taking in everything.

The caravan had reached a narrow path. The day was bright and arid. All around them grew long grass, shimmering in a sickly shade of half-green, half-yellow. The sunlight was blinding, and the sight of the dry grass made the reality of the drought feel even more oppressive.

But that was not the main point.

The focus was on the figures ahead of the caravan.

Amidst the vast stretches of withered yellow grass, standing on enormous wooden stakes, were stiff, rigid figures wearing garish, colorful clothing. Their mouths were stretched into exaggerated, grotesque arcs, and their bodies were clearly fashioned from straw.

"These are... scarecrows?" Ye Lu identified them instantly, his brow furrowing. It was easy to associate these stiff figures with the scarecrows placed in fields to keep birds from stealing grain.

The scarecrows drifted slowly through the grass, blocking both sides of the path. They were nearly camouflaged by the withered stalks, with only their bright, clashing garments visible. They looked greedily at the blood-flesh that had trespassed into their territory.

The caravan came to a dead stop.

The next second—

*Hummm—*

A crisp, clear ring from a bronze mirror echoed throughout the entire group.

A haunting had struck!