Chapter 218: Chapter 184 Qi Shui
The moon shone brightly in a sparsely starred night sky. Shadows of the dense forest loomed, punctuated occasionally by the jarring calls of a night owl.
A group tasked with rescuing Chu Haoman walked through the silent woods. They were led by Wang Linian, a Cultivator from the Taiyuan Wang Family. With a Longsword at his waist and a Compass in hand, he maintained an expressionless face as he followed its guidance with deliberate strides.
The others followed behind.
Given that Chu Haoman might have been caught in a high-risk Bizarre Species incident, everyone had come as prepared as possible, carrying packs and luggage. The twin brothers, Yu Yong and Yu Yuan, together carried a heavy wooden box nearly half a man’s height.
"Hey, speaking of which, have any of you seen Miss Wang?"
Perhaps finding the silence too dull, one of the Yu twins asked, "We haven’t. It’s quite interesting, though. We’re all here to rescue her fiancé, yet she hasn’t shown her face, leaving everything to her butler. I wonder if she’s cried her eyes out and is too embarrassed to meet anyone, or if she simply doesn’t care."
A young man named Yan Yan, who wore a half-ghost mask, sneered, "The Five Families and Seven Hopes always have to maintain appearances. You eat pork, but you don’t need to personally meet the Butcher who slaughters the pigs, do you?"
Wang Linian, who was leading the way, suddenly stopped as if he hadn’t heard their discussion about the Wang Family. He took out a map, compared it, and announced, "We’re here. This is Qi Shui Hollow..."
He turned to Yu Shusheng. "Scholar, have you read the county records of Dingzhou?"
"Yes," Yu Shusheng nodded. "If I remember correctly, Qi Shui Hollow is geographically located between Wangyue Village and Liuchu Village. It has resources like chestnut and peach trees. But it’s uninhabited now."
Liao Kaifeng frowned. "Now?"
"Yes. Around the time of the Former Sui, there was a village in this area called Qi Shui Village, famous for its exceptionally delicious fish. Later, after the Former Sui fell, Hedong Road was plunged into ceaseless war, overrun with rebels and bandits. Qi Shui Village was cut off from the outside world. When people eventually went to investigate, the entire village had vanished, and the rivers and lakes that once teemed with fish had been polluted. Without its fishing industry, Qi Shui Hollow, being surrounded by mountains on three sides and difficult to access, was abandoned."
Yu Shusheng continued, "Back then, far too many villages in Hedong Road suffered the same fate as Qi Shui Village. Countless villages and towns were massacred and destroyed in the calamities of war."
Li Ang added grimly, "Infants were impaled on pikes and paraded about for sport. Wherever the armies passed, the land was stripped bare, so that when the spring swallows returned, they had to nest in the woods."
Yu Shusheng raised an eyebrow, glanced at Li Ang, and nodded. "A very fitting description. The calamities of war during the Late Sui were indeed that absurd and cruel. However, according to the Academic Palace, Bizarre Species phenomena cannot be explained or analyzed with common logic. We can’t just assume this incident is related to what happened to Qi Shui Village."
He paused, then added with some sheepishness, "Of course, these are just my personal views. When it comes to facing the Alien, you all are more qualified to speak."
"It’s fine. All opinions are valuable," Wang Linian nodded, then said to the others, "Yu Shusheng has an eidetic memory. Before we came, he memorized most of the county records, local customs, and legends of the Hedong Road region."
So that was it.
Liao Kaifeng, Yan Yan, and the others tilted their chins slightly. No wonder Wang Linian had brought along Yu Shusheng, despite his modest abilities. Being familiar with local folklore was indeed a skill that could increase their chances of survival.
Wang Linian took three sticks of incense from his robes. He rubbed the tip of one with his fingers, lighting it. It released a faint, peculiar odor, neither fragrant nor foul.
It was True Soul Fragrance.
This precious incense, made from over a dozen special materials, could purify the heart and calm the soul. It could also reveal things invisible to the naked eye—for instance, Bizarre Species.
Wisps of incense smoke rose and drifted forward, blanketing the rugged mountain path ahead and lingering in the air.
Wang Linian inserted the three incense sticks into three grooves on the Compass, activating the Wind-protecting Talismans on it, which allowed the incense to burn on its own. He then took a tubular firework from his robes, lit it, and launched it toward the sky.
CRACK—BANG.
Dazzling fireworks blossomed in the night sky. Wang Linian turned to the group and said, "I’ve launched the communication flare. The Taiyuan Wang Family will seal off this mountainous area, strictly prohibiting anyone from entering until we emerge. These three sticks of True Soul Fragrance will burn in sequence, lasting a total of thirty-six hours. We need to find and rescue Mr. Chu within that time. If anyone has objections, you may withdraw now."
Li Ang glanced around. No one objected. Ji Xingwang was here to rescue his student, and the others had been paid by the Wang Family. Having taken their money, they were obliged to help them avert disaster.
Similarly, no one asked what would happen if they couldn’t rescue Chu Haoman within thirty-six hours. No one was foolish enough not to realize that if the task proved impossible, they would retreat the way they came and wait for reinforcements, rather than stay in the aberration and die with Chu Haoman.
"In that case, let’s move out. Everyone, keep your communication flares ready."
Wang Linian placed the Compass in the middle of the path and strode into the mist.
The fog on the mountain path grew denser, drastically reducing visibility. Li Ang, walking in the middle of the group, could only vaguely see the back of Yan Yan’s head in front of him. Behind them, the faint glow of the True Soul Fragrance had become nearly imperceptible.
"The fog is getting thicker..." Ji Xingwang murmured, taking a stack of talismans from his robes and holding them ready between his fingers.
"Everyone, stay close. Anything can happen in a Bizarre Species aberration," Wang Linian said, his hand resting on the hilt of his Sword. He then commanded coolly, "Yan Yan, Mind Threads."
"Understood." The young man wearing the half-demon mask nodded. He flipped his palm, and a soft silk thread adorned with many small bells shot out.
The mediums for a Telekinesis Master’s Telekinesis were diverse, ranging from water and ice to metal, swords, and even fallen leaves or petals. Mind Threads were a relatively common and basic type of medium, used by many Telekinesis Masters for early warnings and detection.
As Yan Yan infused it with Telekinesis, the soft silk thread slowly tensed, spiraling around the group and extending outward. The bells attached to the thread were also special items; they would only ring upon detecting the aura of an Alien.
With the thread and bells scouting ahead, the group subconsciously slowed their pace, advancing cautiously.
"Do you hear that?" The tattooed strong man, Liao Kaifeng, suddenly stopped. His expression changed slightly as he asked.
Yu Shusheng instinctively asked, "Hear what?"
"The wind... and crying..." Liao Kaifeng replied.
In the next instant, the ground undulated like ocean waves. A fierce gale sprang up, churning the dense fog. Liao Kaifeng’s voice was abruptly cut off, replaced by sharp, inhuman wails carried on the wind.
The Mind Threads Yan Yan had released offered no resistance; they were instantly torn to shreds, the copper bells attached to them scattered to parts unknown by the wind.
Ji Xingwang scattered a handful of talismans. The moment the talisman papers began to float, they erupted into flames as if they had touched open fire, burning fiercely and turning to ash in less than half a second.
Despite lacking conventional auditory organs, the Ink Silk Clone was still assaulted by the piercing cries. Its body quivered violently, forcing it to crouch and dig its hands into the earth to maintain stability against the howling wind and violent tremors.
The cataclysm lasted for over a hundred breaths. Only when the wind gradually subsided and the earth stopped trembling did Li Ang manage to stand up and survey his surroundings.
The Mind Threads, the talismans, and his companions were all gone. When he looked back, the faint light of the True Soul Fragrance was also nowhere to be seen.
Before him lay only the dense forest, shrouded in thick fog.