Night had fallen, and Jing Minghe couldn't see the characters that appeared on the foreheads of the evil spirits. However, Chi Hao and Tong Zheng, along with the others, could see their physical forms.
Besides the three evil spirits possessing Guan Wei, Lin Ling, and Zhang Yu, the remaining four were the man-eating flower-headed ghosts they had encountered before, only their clothing was a bit finer than those of the ordinary horde.
Chi Hao was in a foul mood. He cast a cold glance at the approaching evil spirits and said in a low voice to Jing Minghe, "You stand still. They're all mine."
"Brother Hao, you..."
Jing Minghe was about to offer a few more words, but Chi Hao had already charged forward to engage.
Seeing Ke Wuwen frantically searching for the corresponding Blood Jade Cudgels while nervously looking at the seven evil spirits, Jiang Zheng shouted at him, "Wuwen! Focus on your search! Don't get distracted, we'll handle stopping them!"
Ke Wuwen was about to retort, "There are seven evil spirits! How can you possibly stop them?" when he saw Chi Hao single-handedly hold back three or four of the spirits, preventing them from taking even a single step forward!
Da Lang, who had followed them at some point, also rushed forward, desperately grappling with an evil spirit.
Seeing this, Ke Wuwen finally relaxed and concentrated on finding the Blood Jade Cudgels.
Although Jing Minghe couldn't see, he listened intently for a while and confirmed that seven evil spirits had arrived. Even though one was missing, he could deduce something,
That is, only the eight Great Evil Spirits could leave the village to act. The rest of the ordinary ghosts could only wander within the village.
If this were the case, then the way these eight evil spirits existed must also be different from the other ghosts. Perhaps this difference could help them successfully pinpoint the location of the eight Great Evil Spirits, preventing aimless searching.
With a decision made, Jing Minghe followed the sounds to where Ke Wuwen and the others were.
Chi Hao and Da Lang didn't require his concern, but he didn't know how long Tong Zheng and Jiang Zheng could hold out. If they were accidentally forcibly possessed, it would be a great loss.
"Sister You Mi," Jing Minghe asked in a low voice, "Are you almost done finding them?"
"Almost," You Mi's voice held a hint of urgency, "Just the last one, it'll be ready soon."
Jing Minghe nodded and said, "Once you're done, we'll retreat to the thatched hut immediately."
"Found it!" Ke Wuwen shouted excitedly.
Upon hearing this, Jing Minghe immediately said, "Quickly put it away, we're leaving!"
Ke Wuwen and You Mi quickly put away the Blood Jade Cudgels they had divided. Ke Wuwen stood up and looked at the path back. He saw Da Lang, Tong Zheng, and Jiang Zheng locked in fierce battles with three evil spirits, and he sighed, "Idol, the way back is blocked by them. How do we get through?"
The sides of the narrow path were lined with dense thorn bushes, and what lay beneath them was unknown. Jing Minghe didn't want to risk finding out at this moment.
"Don't make a sound," Jing Minghe said, then slowly closed his eyes. After listening for a moment, he said to Ke Wuwen and You Mi, "Follow closely behind me. Be careful to dodge."
"But Idol, you..."
Before Ke Wuwen could finish speaking, he heard Jing Minghe command, "Keep up!"
No longer daring to say anything more, he and You Mi quickly followed closely behind Jing Minghe.
As Jing Minghe moved forward, he first helped Da Lang by knocking an evil spirit flying, clearing a section of the path, then left that evil spirit to Da Lang to deal with. Next, he helped Tong Zheng repel the evil spirit he was facing, clearing another section of the path. Finally, he joined forces with Jiang Zheng to hold back the last evil spirit.
"Wuwen, Sister You Mi, run back! Don't look back!"
Jing Minghe stayed behind to help Jiang Zheng and the others, allowing Ke Wuwen and You Mi to escape successfully.
Just as Ke Wuwen and You Mi had run about seven or eight meters, Tong Zheng was defeated by an evil spirit.
"Tong Zheng!" Jiang Zheng shouted as he saw it.
Jing Minghe immediately said, "Brother Jiang, please go help Brother Tong. I'll deal with this one."
Seeing Tong Zheng's life hanging in the balance, Jiang Zheng had no choice but to leave Jing Minghe and go to Tong Zheng's aid. At this very moment, one of the four evil spirits that Chi Hao was holding back, with the help of the other three, finally broke through and charged directly at Jing Minghe at the rear.
Jing Minghe, unable to see, and his hearing affected by the sounds of battle, didn't notice the extra evil spirit charging at him until it attempted to bypass him to pursue Ke Wuwen and You Mi. Jing Minghe, realizing it, rushed to intercept. Simultaneously, another evil spirit took advantage of the situation and swiped at Jing Minghe's arm, causing blood to gush out.
"Bastard! Who allowed you to hurt him!"
Chi Hao was filled with regret. Despite moving at his fastest, he was still a step too late, causing Jing Minghe to be injured.
Hearing Chi Hao approach, Jing Minghe didn't want him to worry and shouted, "I'm fine."
Jing Minghe received no reply and assumed Chi Hao was busy dealing with the evil spirits. He focused on the evil spirit trying to pursue Ke Wuwen and You Mi.
Although Jing Minghe couldn't see, Tong Zheng and Jiang Zheng saw it clearly. Chi Hao grabbed the evil spirit that had injured Jing Minghe and ripped off one of its arms – the very hand that had scratched Jing Minghe.
Even for a ghost, having an arm torn off caused them to howl in pain.
Alas, even though they were supposedly unkillable ghosts, they were physical entities to the players. Encountering a powerhouse like Chi Hao, who possessed explosive combat power, meant they too had to endure the agony of having limbs torn off.
Jing Minghe heard the howl of an evil spirit and felt a strange sensation. He didn't know what Chi Hao had done to bully one of the Great Evil Spirits so severely.
Estimating that Ke Wuwen and You Mi had successfully returned to the thatched hut, and that they couldn't destroy the evil spirits, continuing to engage them was pointless. Jing Minghe turned and shouted, "Brother Tong, Brother Jiang, run back quickly! Brother Hao and I will cover your retreat!"
Tong Zheng and Jiang Zheng didn't hesitate and immediately bolted towards the thatched hut.
Jing Minghe, Chi Hao, and Da Lang fought and retreated with the seven evil spirits. As they neared the thatched hut, the seven evil spirits indeed dared not pursue further, only watching helplessly as Jing Minghe and the others fled back into the hut.
No matter how angry they were, they could do nothing.
Ke Wuwen and You Mi were already waiting at the entrance. They only relaxed after watching everyone leave the narrow path.
Tong Zheng and Jiang Zheng both had injuries. You Mi quickly said, "Go back quickly, I still have medicine, I can help you treat your wounds."
"Idol!"
Ke Wuwen rushed to Jing Minghe's side, but Chi Hao wouldn't allow him to get close to Jing Minghe. He said to You Mi, "Where is the medicine? Bring it all here."
You Mi looked surprised. "What, Minghe is injured too?"
Chi Hao frowned, but before he could speak, Jing Minghe interjected, "Sister You Mi, don't worry. It's just a minor injury. Everyone, go to the thatched hut where I'm staying. Bring all the medicine there, and we'll treat them together."
"Okay," You Mi replied. "You all go back first, I'll go get the medicine."
Everyone returned to the thatched hut. Ke Wuwen looked at Jing Minghe with concern, but Chi Hao's aura was too imposing, making it impossible for him to get close and show his care.
Seeing Ke Wuwen's worried expression, Tong Zheng spoke up, "Little Wuwen, Brother Tong is thirsty. Can you get me some water?"