Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 919 Dangdang

However, these ghosts seemed endless. Just as he chopped one off, a new one emerged from the black fog. Su Yan felt his strength gradually running out. Sweat dripped down his forehead, blurring his vision. Just as Su Yan felt desperate, the Dali Temple bronze plate in his arms suddenly emitted a golden light. Wherever the golden light went, the black fog retreated like a tide, and those ghosts also screamed in the golden light, turning into wisps of green smoke and dissipating in the air. Su Yan gasped and looked at the slightly hot bronze plate in his hand, full of doubts in his heart, but he had no time to think about it at this time. He endured the dizziness and began to check the bodies in the house. With the weak moonlight, Su Yan found that there was a dark red mark on the chest of each corpse, shaped like an eye, with a darker color at the pupil, as if staring at him coldly. The edge of the mark was jagged, as if it was carved by some sharp object, and the skin around it was slightly raised, showing an abnormal swelling. Su Yan took out the parchment and charcoal pencil he carried with him, and carefully copied the mark. Each stroke seemed to carry a mysterious power, causing his hands to tremble unconsciously. When Su Yan looked up again, the old man in gray was no longer in the room. Only a few pieces of burnt talisman paper remained on the ground, gently floating in the breeze. He picked up a piece of debris and sniffed it. In addition to the familiar smell of blood, there was also a faint smell of herbs. Su Yan put the debris away and carefully checked the house again. In the secret compartment in the corner, he found a tattered account book with a strange ghost face drawn on the cover. After opening it, he found some strange numbers and symbols recorded in it. He couldn't understand the meaning, so he put it away. When he returned to the Dali Temple, it was already dawn. Chen Shaoqing was pacing back and forth in the yamen. The patch on his official uniform was wrinkled, and it was obvious that he had not slept all night. Seeing Su Yan returning, he walked up to him quickly, his face full of anxiety: "Su Yan, you are finally back! The higher-ups have issued a death order, the case must be solved within three days, otherwise we in the Dali Temple will be in trouble!" Su Yan informed Chen Shaoqing of the investigation and the newly discovered marks in detail, and at the same time took out the copied parchment and the mysterious account book. Chen Shaoqing stared at the mark on the parchment, his face turned pale in an instant: "I remember seeing a similar mark in an ancient book, saying that it was related to a mysterious cult organization. They called themselves the 'Netherworld Cult', believed in ghosts and gods in the underworld, and were said to have some evil magic. These people are secretive, often active at night, and use various evil means to harm people. The court has sent people to encircle and suppress them many times, but all failed." Su Yan was shocked and clenched his fists: "In this case, I will investigate this Netherworld Cult in depth. Even if it is a dragon's den and a tiger's lair, I will pull them out!" Chen Shaoqing looked at him worriedly: "Su Yan, this trip is extremely dangerous, you must be careful. I will do my best to deal with it in the government office to buy time for you." In order not to alert the enemy, Su Yan disguised himself as a down-and-out man, with messy hair, coal dust on his face, and a shabby coarse linen shirt, and mixed in the three religions and nine classes in Chang'an. He shuttled through every corner of the market, teahouses, wine shops, and pawnshops, not missing any possible clues. However, after a few days, he only got some ambiguous rumors. Some people said they saw the Netherworld Cult offering sacrifices in the middle of the night, and some people said they heard strange chanting, but they could not determine the exact location. Until in an underground casino, Su Yan met a gangster named Ah Qi. Ah Qi was thin, with a cunning look in his eyes, and a huge copper ring on his left ear, which jingled when he spoke. When Su Yan asked him about the Netherworld Sect, Ah Qi's eyes instantly became alert, and he looked Su Yan up and down: "Why are you asking about that thing? It's an evil organization, don't touch it! If you get involved with them, you will be in danger of death!" Su Yan took out a silver ingot from his arms and stuffed it into Ah Qi's hand: "I have a friend who was killed by them and died unclearly. I want to seek justice. Brother, please be kind and tell me some information." Ah Qi stared at the silver, his Adam's apple moved, hesitated for a while, and finally took the silver, looked around, lowered his voice and said: "Okay, I only know that they have a base in the south of the city, the specific location is I don't know where they are. However, I heard from my brothers that they gather under the Big Wild Goose Pagoda every seven days. Every gathering is mysterious and there are some strange rituals. If you are brave, you can go and have a look, but I advise you to run away quickly if you see something bad, and don't get yourself involved. "Su Yan was delighted and took out a few more copper coins: "Thank you, brother! I wonder when the gathering will be?" Ah Qi took the copper coins and grinned: "Tonight is the day of the gathering, at three quarters after midnight. If you go, stay far away and don't let them find you." Night fell again, and Chang'an was shrouded in darkness. Su Yan changed into a black nightgown, with a short knife on his waist, and quietly moved towards the direction of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Along the way, he carefully avoided the patrolling officers and night watchmen, and moved forward quickly in the shadows of the houses. When he arrived at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, there was silence under the tower, with only a few dim lanterns swaying in the wind. Su Yan found a secluded place to hide, holding his breath, waiting for the arrival of the Netherworld Cult. At 12:30 am, a gust of cold wind blew, and there were faint footsteps and bells in the distance. Su Yan looked closely and saw a dozen people in black robes, wearing masks and holding torches in their hands, walking towards the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Their steps were uniform, but there was a strange atmosphere, as if they were a group of messengers from hell. When they approached, Su Yan saw that their black robes were embroidered with a red eye pattern, exactly the same as the mark on the corpse. These people stood in a circle under the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and a tall man walked out in the middle. His mask was the most peculiar, a hideous ghost face with a green light flashing in his eyes. He held a black scepter in his hand, with a skull carved on the top of the scepter, and a red cloth hanging from his open mouth. He waved his scepter and chanted something, and the others followed suit. The voice was low and strange, echoing in the night sky, making people shudder. Su Yan hid in the dark, carefully observing their every move, trying to find out their weaknesses and secrets. He knew that this would be a key step in uncovering the truth, but at the same time, he also knew that he was in danger, and if he was not careful, he would fall into an irretrievable situation...