"When you need to walk this path, it means there are already abnormal phenomena within the cemetery. Escape as quickly as possible.
If you hear any strange sounds, do not look back, absolutely do not look back. They cannot catch you. Keep moving forward."
Two more signs appeared by the side of the road ahead.
The above was the printed text on the wooden sign to the right.
The one on the left was still in crooked handwriting:
"If you hear someone calling you, please turn back and signal. If they have a white sash, leave quickly. If they have a black sash, you can trust them and let them lead you."
"Why is the sign on the right a bit new this time?"
Hong Lian, with her keen observation, noticed this.
This time, the sign on the right was as new as the one on the left, lacking its previous aged look.
"Who cares? It's probably been renovated. Let's keep going."
Wan Lei was noncommittal, and the group continued forward.
After walking for a short while, they heard rustling sounds behind them, like soil being disturbed on the ground, or as if someone was digging.
Upon hearing this sound, Feng Bing involuntarily wanted to turn back and see, but Wan Lei grabbed his head and turned it.
"Don't look back! Did you forget? Keep moving forward."
Feng Bing broke out in a cold sweat, his heart pounding. He thought to himself how close he had come to disaster.
The group ignored the sounds behind them and continued forward at a steady pace.
Soon after, they felt the wind blowing from behind them, carrying a scent of flowers mixed with earth.
Yes, they had forgotten the illusion Feng Bing had encountered earlier, forgotten that they shouldn't inhale too much pollen.
"Stop... stop... don't go... any further... come back... come back..."
The voice from behind was hoarse, like two rough pieces of dry wood rubbing against each other, grating and unpleasant.
It was intermittent, as if the speaker hadn't spoken for a long time and had forgotten how to pronounce words.
This voice, combined with the current crimson moonlight, in a scene filled with gravestones and evening primroses, was exceptionally terrifying and chilling.
Upon hearing this voice, the group had no intention of stopping. Let alone turning back, they ran faster than each other.
Behind them, they heard a thumping sound, as if something was chasing them.
They dared not look back, fearing that if the thing behind them caught them, they would be turned into one of those creatures.
Fortunately, the thumping sound behind them was not fast, and soon the footsteps could no longer be heard.
Judging by the distance, they must have reached the mountainside. Unknowingly, they had spent almost a night in this cemetery.
Yet, the moon in the sky remained perpetually high in the same position, its location never changing.
Darkness seemed to be the eternal theme here.
After a desperate run, they were forced to stop again.
Ahead, another fork in the road appeared.
This time, it was not a "卜" shaped intersection, but a "忄" shaped one. From the road ahead, a path extended out on each side towards the front.
The sign on the left path was in handwriting:
"Don't go any further, don't go any further, and don't go back. Go left. This is the last intersection, your last chance to choose. If you choose the wrong path again, no one can save you."
The middle path had no sign.
The sign on the right was erected to the right of the right fork:
"Road ahead is under repair and temporarily closed. Please turn right. We have opened a temporary detour that also leads to the back gate. Please proceed quickly and do not linger."
"Uh... let's go right."
Wan Lei led the group without hesitation towards the right.
Since they had chosen the printed text, they would stick to that path.
There were only two choices, one right and one wrong. A fifty percent chance, so they gambled. Gambled on their luck, gambled that their choice was correct.
The road to the right wound and twisted, clearly a newly opened path, even difficult to climb in some places.
They went up and down, the once flat road now rugged. Fortunately, they were all cultivators, so they trod as if on level ground.
The group ran for a long time before stopping, because ahead...
There was no road.
"Damn it! They lied to us? There's no road? Did we choose wrong?"
Wan Lei stared in disbelief at the sea of flowers at the end of the road, dumbfounded.
"Look at the sign, there's a sign there."
Fang Xiaoyu pointed to the end of the road.
Another road sign had appeared. Fortunately, it was the only sign there, so they didn't have to choose.
"One, please observe civilized tomb sweeping. Do not make noise and do not disturb the rest of the deceased.
Two, you can always trust the words of those with white sashes. Trust the management. We will not harm you.
Three, if you have escaped here, please remember the following points.
Four, do not look back! Do not look back!
Five, there is no road ahead. The back gate is hidden and requires a specific method to summon.
Six, the method of summoning is to burn paper money. If you do not have paper money, burning banknotes is also acceptable.
Seven, believe that your ancestors will hear your call, believe in the power of bloodline to help you open the back gate and save you. Ancestors always protect their descendants.
Eight, when burning paper money, please recite a prayer.
Nine, the prayer is: Great ancestors, your descendant summons your soul to awaken. Please help me, protect me, and assist me in escaping from here. Your descendants for generations to come will forever be grateful for your kindness, for ten thousand generations, with bloodline continuing.
Ten, before completing the recitation, absolutely do not look at the back of the sign! Absolutely do not look at the back of the sign!"
The words on this sign were incredibly bizarre. Wan Lei and the others fell silent for a moment.
Then, Wan Lei raised an objection:
"Our ancestors are definitely not buried here, right? Will the power of bloodline work? It feels a bit far-fetched. What if we summon someone else's ancestor and they don't help us?"
"Do we still have time to worry about this? Hurry up and recite the scriptures. No matter whose ancestor it is, let's speak nicely and ask them to open the back gate.
Oh, right, quickly take out your banknotes."
Fang Xiaoyu urged.
Wan Lei immediately took out banknotes, summoned a wisp of flame with his finger, ignited one, placed it on the ground, and then threw a few more.
Then, the five of them began to recite the scriptures together.
"Great ancestors, your descendant summons your soul to awaken. Please help me, protect me, and assist me in escaping from here. Your descendants for generations to come will forever be grateful for your kindness, for ten thousand generations, with bloodline continuing."
When they finished reciting, the banknotes had just finished burning.
"Now, we should be able to look at the back, right?"
Wan Lei looked at the others. They immediately ran to the back of the sign, but the words there plunged them into an icy abyss.
"You've been tricked, you've been tricked, you've been tricked.
Hehe, alright, now turn around, and you can see us."