CHAPTER 52: CHAPTER 52: THE TALISMAN LOSES ITS EFFECT

The pale moon hung in the sky. In the mountain forests and wild fields, the tree shadows danced.

"HYA!"

At the end of the dirt road at the foot of the mountain, two robust and large steeds galloped, kicking up clouds of dust and puffing hot air from their nostrils and mouths. The surrounding trees whizzed by like phantoms.

Astride the horses, two men clad in black, close-fitting attire had stern looks in their eyes, constantly scanning their surroundings as if in search of something. No more than ten meters behind them, in the woods, a figure dressed in a scholar’s blue garments leapt lightly in pursuit.

Though he appeared to be a frail scholar, his Qinggong was exceptionally refined and profound. It was as if he were treading on an auspicious cloud, his leaps and bounds as effortless and relaxed as a leisurely stroll.

Swallow Soar has also broken through to the Second Realm. Once I reach the Third Realm, I’ll find another compatible Qinggong to merge with it, Qi Xiu silently mused, glancing at his proficiency panel. After the harrowing chase by Mutated Beasts, he understood the importance of a potent Qinggong even more. Swallow Soar was merely a third-rate Qinggong. If not for his game-changing proficiency hack, he wouldn’t have even been able to break through to the Condensation Realm. The ability to escape is not to be trifled with. It’s crucial for survival and protecting my possessions; I must take it seriously.

Just as Qi Xiu was contemplating whether to scrape another Qinggong from Yuan Baiyi or to sift through the Ghost Market Treasure Ship himself, suddenly, the sound of reins being pulled taut came from up ahead.

"WHOA!"

Yuan Baiyi dismounted swiftly, his brow furrowed as he strode towards a cluster of grass beside the road. A withered and darkened corpse lay on the ground, vaguely recognizable as a wild deer.

Bending down to inspect the grass near the deer corpse, Nie Xun turned his head and said, "The broken blades of grass are still fresh. It can’t have been more than two hours."

Yuan Baiyi thought, It seems those two demons are nearby.

He then commanded, "We’ll abandon the horses and proceed on foot to avoid alerting them."

Making the decision instantly, Yuan Baiyi and the others abandoned their mounts and plunged into the mountain ahead.

「...」

The forest was dense and verdant, with little light penetrating its depths. Mottled sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting dappled shadows into the dim woodland.

"The animal corpses are becoming more frequent. We must be getting close," Yuan Baiyi said, slowly caressing the Magic Artifact at his waist as he looked down at the carcass of a wild boar, drained of flesh and blood.

Demons have a penchant for flesh and blood, especially human. It’s rare for them to prey on ordinary wild animals. Unless... it’s severely injured and in urgent need of Blood Meal to recover from its wounds and replenish its strength.

Trudging through waist-high weeds, the trio gradually entered deeper into the mountain forest.

When they reached a cliff, Qi Xiu narrowed his eyes slightly and let out a soft, "Hmm?"

Hearing the questioning sound, Yuan Baiyi glanced over. "What is it?"

"Look there." Qi Xiu raised his right arm, pointing. In a distant mountain hollow lay a village of about a hundred households. In the village, cooking seemed to be underway, with wisps of cooking smoke slowly rising.

The village wasn’t large. Without his training in the Sun Observing Strengthening Skill, which granted him exceptional eyesight, Qi Xiu might never have noticed such a small settlement nestled among the mountains.

"Just an ordinary village, what about it?" Carrying the Gold-Plated Tiger Head Spear, Nie Xun also saw the village.

"The village itself seems perfectly normal, nothing strange," Qi Xiu began, slowly explaining his reasoning. "But those two demons have been rampaging through this area, and all the wild beasts in the mountains have suffered. Yet this village is untouched. That’s what’s abnormal."

"Let’s go take a look." Yuan Baiyi spoke up, and the three of them set off towards the village to investigate.

「...」

A crooked, gnarled tree at the village entrance bore a wooden sign. On it, three large characters were scrawled: Gejia Village.

On the neat and tidy path at the entrance of the village, a few children laughed and played happily. Just then, three figures of varying heights appeared behind them. Seeing these three somber-faced strangers, the children flinched and hurriedly scampered home.

Seems like nothing is out of the ordinary, Qi Xiu thought. With his sleeves drawn together, he quietly sized up the village before him, his concealed hands clutching a Suppression Talisman. In the small village, figures could be vaguely seen moving about—feeding chickens, sweeping yards, carrying sacks. Everything appeared as it should in an ordinary village, with no trace of anything unusual.

Gazing at the nearest courtyard, where a peasant woman scattered feed for a flock of fat, plump chickens—clearly prime for the pot—Qi Xiu muttered to himself, Are we overthinking this?

But after a moment, Qi Xiu suddenly sensed something was wrong.

He turned around. Yuan Baiyi and Nie Xun, who had been right behind him, had vanished without a trace. They disappeared as if they had evaporated into thin air, silently and without warning.

A cold chill ran up his spine, and Qi Xiu’s eye twitched. Damn it, looks like I’ve fallen into a trap.

「...」

An illusion? Yuan Baiyi’s eyes narrowed, having also noticed the disappearance of Qi Xiu and Nie Xun. Those two demons were so severely wounded. Could they still cast such a powerful illusion? Or... are there other demons involved?

Drawing the Magic Sword Xuanzhong from his waist, Yuan Baiyi’s Inner Qi surged, and a sudden gale swept up from beneath his feet. If it’s an illusion, then I’ll simply break it!

In the village, hearing the roaring wind, numerous villagers rushed out of their homes. They all saw a figure wielding a longsword, radiating killing intent, walking slowly towards them.

"You... who are you? Please don’t harm my villagers! We can give you whatever you want!" an elderly man, around seventy or eighty years old with a snow-white beard, pleaded as he walked out from the crowd on a cane, tremblingly kneeling before Yuan Baiyi.

"At least, spare the children!"

"I beg you, don’t hurt my child!"

"If you must kill, kill me instead!"

"SOB... MOM!"

SWISH—

With a single stroke of the sword, a head tumbled to the ground. Blood sprayed several meters high.

Touching the warm blood on his blade, Yuan Baiyi frowned. It’s warm? Could it be... this isn’t an illusion? Did I kill an innocent?

「...」

Can’t get out? Qi Xiu stood at the entrance to Gejia Village, his brows furrowed. After Yuan Baiyi and Nie Xun’s bizarre disappearance, he had tried to retrace his steps, intending to distance himself from this eerie village. But every time he walked about a hundred meters from the village, any further step would inexplicably return him to the entrance. It was like the legendary ’ghost-hitting-the-wall’ phenomenon, trapped in an inescapable loop.

It seems the only way out is through the village itself, Qi Xiu thought, pressing his lips together. He decisively turned around, but as soon as he did, he saw that the villagers, who had all been busying themselves at home in a picture of rural harmony, were now startlingly all standing at their doorways.

Men and women, old and young alike, all wore a strange, unsettling smile. Every pair of eyes was fixed intently on him.

Startled by the horrific scene, Qi Xiu’s eyes hardened, and he instinctively reached for the bamboo staff tied to his waist.

What’s happening? The Suppression Talisman isn’t reacting at all! Qi Xiu thought, feeling waves of icy aura wash over him. He glanced down at the Suppression Talisman in his hand; there was still no reaction.

The once-infallible Suppression Talisman had suddenly failed. A heavy sense of oppression, unlike anything he had ever experienced, settled over Qi Xiu.

And at that moment, the villagers with their eerie smiles began to lift their feet, walking towards Qi Xiu in unison.