"Brother Ye, what exactly is going on?"
Seeing Ye Fan return quickly, Elder Lei hurried to meet him, asking urgently.
Ye Fan's face was somber as he placed Xue Zhonglong on the ground. The scoundrel had courted his own death and nearly caused trouble for everyone.
"This courtyard is set up with a formation, and this formation is linked to mechanisms and traps. A slight misstep could trigger them, and one could die at any moment."
"This is why I told you to follow behind me, yet this Xue Zhonglong, not knowing life from death, insisted on going his own way. If he hadn't triggered the traps, he would likely be a corpse by now."
Ye Fan was greatly annoyed by Xue Zhonglong's shameless behavior.
It wasn't that he was petty, but he had said what needed to be said. Yet, someone had refused to follow instructions, nearly spoiling the entire pot of stew with a single rotten fish.
"Have someone carry him back. We don't need dead weight here anymore."
Ye Fan turned and said coldly to Xu Sanhu.
Two villagers behind them quickly came forward and carried Xue Zhonglong out. As for how Rui He would deal with him, that was not Ye Fan's concern.
"Ye Fan, why is such a powerful formation set up here? Also, I've heard people say that the power of formations is ever-changing, and even one wrong step can lead to eternal damnation. How do you know about these formations that are said to exist only in legends? Could it be that you truly possess earth-shattering abilities?"
At this moment, Shen Tianyin's eyes were full of adoration, and her gaze towards Ye Fan was radiant with spring.
Feeling her burning gaze, Ye Fan actually felt a slight tremor in his heart.
It was a feeling he had never experienced before, his heart beating faster, as if a beast was roaring within him.
He wanted to suppress it, to calm himself down.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't. Instead, it made his entire body feel hot.
This feeling was akin to being poisoned.
Quickly averting his gaze, no longer looking at Shen Tianyin, Ye Fan forcibly calmed his feverish heart.
"I saw these formations in an ancient book. At the time, I didn't pay much attention to it, nor did I believe that formations truly existed in this world."
"But today's experience has turned my previous thoughts upside down."
"Therefore, I recalled the formations I had seen before, and thus came to these conclusions."
Veiling the fact that he was proficient in formations, Ye Fan finally breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
He had managed to muddle through. If Shen Tianyin had pressed him, his identity might have been exposed sooner rather than later.
Shen Tianyin glanced at him with a hint of doubt but didn't say much.
She was a smart woman and knew which questions to ask and which not to.
Since Ye Fan was unwilling to elaborate, she naturally wouldn't probe further.
"So that's how it is. No wonder it was so difficult for us to enter this courtyard before; it was set up with a formation. Brother Ye, following you has truly opened my eyes."
Xu Sanhu quickly stepped forward and praised Ye Fan.
Elder Lei also looked at Ye Fan in shock. Not only was his treasure appraisal ability outstanding, but he also understood the esoteric art of formations. This was a rare talent indeed.
Regardless of whether he was his former idol or not, he was determined to recruit Ye Fan into the Jiangnan Antique Association.
With Ye Fan's presence, the rise of the Jiangnan Antique Association was just around the corner.
Everyone had their own thoughts, but only Ye Fan remained calm.
"Let's go, let's check inside the house."
Not wanting to get too involved in the matter of formations with them, Ye Fan pushed open the slightly ajar door and stepped into the room.
As soon as he entered the room, a terrifying coldness suddenly rushed towards him.
Even though Ye Fan was accustomed to such feelings, he couldn't help but shiver this time.
In his previous life, as a tomb keeper guarding the tomb of Marquis Sui, he had encountered some bizarre and strange things, but nothing as terrifying as this.
"Ye Fan, what's wrong?"
Seeing Ye Fan stop and stare coldly ahead, Shen Tianyin, who was behind him, quickly asked in concern.
But Ye Fan didn't answer her. Instead, he said in a deep voice, "You all wait outside. Don't come in."
The Yin energy here was too dense. With Ye Fan's physique, he could endure it for a while, but if Shen Tianyin and Elder Ji were to enter, they might fall seriously ill, even if they didn't die.
Inhaling Yin energy was no trifling matter.
Seeing Ye Fan's grim tone, even though Shen Tianyin and the others were extremely curious, they eventually nodded and retreated.
Seeing that no one else was moving forward, Ye Fan then entered the house.
In the center of the living room, dozens, even hundreds, of memorial tablets were densely arranged.
"Spirit tablet of Zhao Wuji."
"Spirit tablet of Chen Tiangang."
"Spirit tablet of Sun Xiaoguo."
...
"Could it be that these people were also buried alive with him?"
Ye Fan frowned deeply. The ancient practice of human sacrifice was brutal and cruel.
Next to these spirit tablets, another spirit tablet was placed, but there was no incense or offerings in front of it.
"Spirit tablet of Wei Chengmo."
With a somber face, Ye Fan stared intently at the spirit tablet.
After a while, Ye Fan suddenly slapped his thigh, a look of realization dawning on him.
This spirit tablet must have been set up by the old man who had died coming out of the ancient tomb for himself.
So, his name was Wei Chengmo.
Just as Ye Fan was about to move closer to examine it carefully, the room suddenly churned without any wind.
A gust of chilling wind swept through, carrying a terrifying coldness that instantly raged upon Ye Fan.
Seeing this, Ye Fan had no time to think. He raised his hand abruptly to cover his face, and then an incredibly powerful aura emanated from him.
"If you want to fight, then fight. What's the point of hiding your head and showing your tail?"
His voice was extremely cold, and at this moment, even his facial expression carried a hint of ferocity.
Outside, Shen Tianyin and the others heard Ye Fan's roar from inside, and their hearts trembled. They instinctively wanted to rush in to see what was happening.
But Xu Sanhu stopped them. "Brother Ye specifically told us not to go in. Moreover, even if something happens inside, we ordinary folks probably wouldn't be able to help Brother Ye. Instead, we'd only burden him."
Xu Sanhu frowned, his stubbornness evident on his face.
Hearing Xu Sanhu's words, Shen Tianyin and the others, though worried, could only wait outside.
Indeed, even if they went in, they probably wouldn't be of any help.
On the contrary, it would only bring trouble to Ye Fan.
It had to be said that Xu Sanhu was indeed the village chief of Dongcun. At a critical juncture, he still had foresight.
At this moment, Ye Fan's expression was grim, and his eyes emitted sharp glints.
His formidable gaze swept across the surroundings, and not the slightest movement escaped his eyes.
"Whoosh."
Just then, a shadowy figure suddenly lunged from a corner, like an arrow, directly towards Ye Fan.