"You don't know until you shine a light, and once you do, it's a shock."
Under the beam of my flashlight, the roadside was all bamboo forests.
Every bamboo blossomed, the pale-white flowers resembling countless dead people's skulls, hanging atop the trees.
In my arms was a robust rooster, born under the sign of fire.
Now enveloped by Yin energy, it was fearfully tucking its head under its wings.
"Good heavens, this is so... ominous, so many bamboos flowering," Chen Ahmao shivered all over, his teeth chattering louder.
My heart pounded wildly, but I calmly comforted Chen Ahmao, "It's natural for bamboo to flower when it reaches the end of its life."
In many parts of the south, one would never see bamboos flowering.
Only when bamboos approach death do they bloom countless white flowers that hang from their treetops.
People consider it an ominous sign, foreboding disaster.
Near flowering bamboos, one would often find an unending series of funerary events.
Bamboos that have flowered are called Ghost Bamboo.
Therefore, it is customary to cut down the bamboos before they flower.
If a family fails to cut them in time, causing the bamboos to flower,
there would be collective punishment from neighbors and fellow villagers.
Who would have thought,
this entire village was filled with Ghost Bamboo.
No wonder the Yin energy was so heavy after dark, suffocating to breathe.
"I can't do this, I'm too cold... hiss..." Chen Ahmao was so cold that his joints had frozen up, unable to maneuver the motorcycle.
The bike slowed and suddenly tipped over.
As Chen Ahmao spoke, I became alert.
Clutching my stomach, I quickly jumped off the bike and wasn't crushed by it.
I tossed aside the rooster and pushed the bike up with one hand.
Chen Ahmao's face had turned a ghastly bluish color, like a zombie's.
I hurriedly pulled out a triangular fire charm and placed it in Chen Ahmao's hand, "Recite, Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad, act rapidly as the law commands."
"Lord... Lord... Lao Zi..." Chen Ahmao opened his mouth, so frozen that no warm air came out, and he bit his tongue to speak clearly, "act rapidly as the law commands."
The triangular fire charm flickered in Chen Ahmao's hand, and it was as if he'd been granted a reprieve.
The Cold Ice Aura binding his body dissipated greatly, and he gasped for air while supporting the motorcycle.
I bent down to pick up the rooster, only to find its body had already stiffened, having frozen to death without my noticing.
A sense of foreboding struck me, and I activated my Spiritual Eye to survey our surroundings.
The chilling aura from the bamboo forest had frozen both Chen Ahmao and me ; the other three were probably no better off.
Sure enough, my Spiritual Eye pierced through the dark night.
Not far from the bamboo forest, I saw two overturned motorcycles and three people. Follow current novᴇls on novel•fire.net
I quickly called Chen Ahmao, and together we hurried over.
At the scene, the motorcycles had crashed into the bamboo forest and struck the bamboos.
All three men were unconscious, their faces bluish, their bodies stiff.
Chen Ahmao dropped his motorcycle and rushed to his two brothers, "Hey, wake up, wake up, what's wrong with you two..."
He was sharp-witted enough to stuff his fire charm into one of their hands.
I went over to Master Yang, who had recently been afflicted by a gu and was particularly weak.
Under his eyelids, a layer of frost had formed.
This was in the southern regions where it never snowed even in winter.
To have frost form on a warm human body was inconceivable.
I quickly took off my coat and draped it over Master Yang, pulled the dead rooster from his arms, and pushed a fire charm into his hands.
Then I stood up, only to feel dizzy.
Chen Ahmao hurried over to support me, "Sister Yuan."
After steadying myself, I handed him two triangular fire charms, "Make sure each of you wears one; they should wake up within three minutes."