As they walked, the dense fog gradually dispersed, and a large stone monument appeared.
Three characters, "Bai Xian Town," were carved on the stone monument. The cat immediately jumped onto it and then leaped again, disappearing completely from everyone's sight.
"It really disappeared," Song Zhi quickly went over and circled the monument, but couldn't find any trace of the black cat.
"A bit of a shame, I didn't get to touch it yet," Tang Tang added.
"So, have we arrived?" Yuan Yuan quietly asked Ning Wei.
Ning Wei nodded slightly, "Let's go in and see what surprises await us."
Ning Wei led the way, and the others followed one after another.
There wasn't a soul on the street; the entire street was eerily silent.
Eight people walked on the stone-paved road, with only the sound of their footsteps. Moonlight was their only companion.
"I'm a little scared." The seemingly old street made Yuan Yuan very uneasy.
Tang Tang and Zhu Yilian walked over, staying by her left and right sides.
Wang Jing was alone on the side, looking a bit lonely.
But Zhu Yilian immediately sensed her mood and reached out to pull her to her side.
The team was now arranged with Ning Wei and Li Ye walking at the front, followed by the four girls walking side-by-side. Mei Nan and Song Zhi were at the back, responsible for guarding the rear. This arrangement was very sensible, and no one objected.
As they walked, the sound of a trumpet suddenly came from the distance, followed closely by various gong and drum noises.
The quiet street was broken. Yuan Yuan and the others secretly rejoiced, glad they had already gathered together, otherwise, the sound would have terrified them.
"This sound, it sounds like a funeral procession," Mei Nan said softly.
"Teacher Mei, please don't scare us," Zhu Yilian said with displeasure.
"It's not like we haven't encountered this before, what's there to be afraid of," Song Zhi said brazenly.
Despite saying they were scared, their footsteps did not falter.
Ning Wei and Li Ye did not participate in their discussion, but they both appeared somewhat vigilant.
The further they walked, the louder the sounds of the various instruments became.
Mei Nan was right; this was indeed a funeral procession.
Ning Wei was very familiar with these sounds. The melody being played now was one played for the dead.
White lanterns were vaguely visible, along with white cloths fluttering in the wind.
"It really is a funeral!" Zhu Yilian exclaimed.
Yuan Yuan's muscles instantly tensed. This funeral brought back deeply ingrained, bone-chilling fear for her.
Tang Tang directly hugged Yuan Yuan, whispering encouragement in her ear, "Don't be afraid, we're with you."
Ning Wei looked back at Yuan Yuan. Her pale face revealed her current state of mind.
"Only by facing fear directly can you truly conquer it, don't you think?" Ning Wei looked at Yuan Yuan firmly.
Yuan Yuan nodded. She smiled at Tang Tang, then took a step forward herself, indicating her first independent step.
Ning Wei was very satisfied with Yuan Yuan's performance. She gently patted her shoulder, then pricked her finger and smeared a drop of blood on everyone.
"At critical moments, this can still save your lives. Don't be picky; if you secretly wipe it off, I won't give it again," Ning Wei said playfully to everyone.
Song Zhi squeezed past a few girls and extended his hand, "Not picky, not picky at all! Can I have a little more?"
Seeing his shamelessness, everyone started hitting him again.
The girls didn't hold back, and Song Zhi had to protect the drops of blood Ning Wei had left on him while dodging the girls' fists, looking quite dishevelled.
"Stop hitting, stop hitting! I don't want it anymore, okay?"
Song Zhi felt very wronged. He just wanted to joke around and lighten the mood, but the girls were united and hit him at the slightest provocation.
It was Mei Nan who finally stepped in to stop them, and they retracted their small fists.
"Something is wrong ahead. Protect yourselves, and if things turn bad, run quickly," Ning Wei smelled danger. Before approaching, she wanted to warn everyone.
After the playful interlude, they reorganized their formation.
The music reached a crescendo, becoming louder and louder.
Ning Wei and Li Ye exchanged a look, and with determination, they led their teammates towards the place adorned with white lanterns.
Just as they reached the entrance, the music abruptly stopped.
Everyone was puzzled and paused at the doorway, unsure whether to enter.
At that moment, a middle-aged man walked out from inside. He wore a white flower on his chest and a black cloth pinned to his arm.
Without giving Ning Wei and the others a chance to speak, the middle-aged man directly took Ning Wei's hand and pulled her inside. "Everyone who passes by must come in for a meal. The main kitchen has just finished preparing, so come in quickly and sit down; you'll be served soon."
Ning Wei was obediently led inside, and everyone quickly followed.
Upon entering, they found themselves in a large courtyard with more than ten tables set up, and people were gradually taking their seats.
The middle-aged man directly led Ning Wei and her group to a table. It was a square table that could seat eight people, as if it had been specially reserved for them.
"Guests, please wait a moment. The food will be served shortly," the middle-aged man said, then left for another area.
No one knew his identity, but since Ning Wei cooperated, they followed suit.
They discreetly observed their surroundings. The courtyard was kept very clean, with many flowers and plants around. However, the fragrance of the flowers could no longer be detected, as the entire courtyard was filled with the scent of burnt incense.
In a Taoist temple, the scent of incense brought peace; here, however, it made people restless.
Ning Wei's table was placed on the side. As they were not considered important guests, their position was not looked down upon.
The middle-aged man was right; everyone was waiting to eat. All the guests sat at the tables, chatting. Some children were tapping their bowls with chopsticks, only to be sharply reprimanded on the back of their heads by their elders.
"Wait here. I'm going to look around elsewhere," Ning Wei whispered to everyone and then got up to leave.
Li Ye intended to follow, but Ning Wei stopped him, "You wait for me here. A single person is less conspicuous and harder to be noticed."
After speaking, Ning Wei mingled through the crowd. She saw a dark coffin placed in the center of the main hall. In front of it, people dressed in white were kneeling with dazed expressions, burning paper money.
In front of the paper money was an incense burner filled with unburnt incense. The smoke slowly rose, making the scent here even more potent, causing even the usually calm Ning Wei to feel uncomfortable.
Just as she was about to continue exploring, she was called to a halt by the middle-aged man.