Chapter 668 A Smile
Within the black mist that lingered on Meng Qingxue's shoulder, an infant-like face emerged.
Though it appeared unremarkable at first glance, a fierce glint was undeniable when its pair of blood-red eyes opened, startling both Chen Yang and Zhu Que.
Chen Yang had encountered this black mist before.
It was merely a condensation of malevolent energy, but the ferocity displayed by this particular manifestation was something Chen Yang had never witnessed.
It was exceptionally savage!
Chen Yang had never seen such peculiar malevolent energy.
"I need to find an opportunity to investigate the things on Queyun Mountain!"
All the clues in Chen Yang's mind converged on Queyun Mountain. For the Zhou family to dispatch a Grandmaster-level martial artist to personally guard it, there must be something of immense importance.
And this present malevolent energy made Chen Yang realize that a visit to Queyun Mountain was imperative!
As Chen Yang spoke, the powers of flame and cold water erupted from his body simultaneously.
At this moment, Meng Qingxue also felt the weight on her shoulder, but she could still see nothing.
"Cousin, don't move."
The moment Meng Qingxue heard Chen Yang's voice, she felt a gentle breeze and Chen Yang was already by her side.
Fearing that this peculiar malevolent energy might escape, Chen Yang even employed the Celestial Movement Secret Art.
The Tai Chi formation formed by the two streams of internal energy enveloped the malevolent energy.
Seeing the malevolent energy desperately battering the barrier of internal energy, Chen Yang chuckled, "It actually knows to run!"
Under the interplay of Chen Yang's internal energy, Meng Qingxue could also see what had been clinging to her shoulder!
"Ah!"
Meng Qingxue screamed and tried to flee, but Chen Yang held her in place.
"Don't worry, cousin. I've trapped this fellow. You shouldn't be hearing that voice anymore. Try to sense it carefully."
Hearing Chen Yang's comforting words, Meng Qingxue suppressed her inner tension and carefully felt for the sound by her ear. Discovering that the strange cries had indeed vanished, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
However, having such a peculiar entity on her shoulder was still unsettling, and Meng Qingxue could only say to Chen Yang with a dejected expression, "Can't we get rid of this thing quickly?"
Chen Yang said nothing more, directly using his internal energy to peel away the malevolent energy and produced a small porcelain bottle he carried with him.
This type of bottle was used by Chen Yang to store medicinal herbs. It had undergone special refinement, making it suitable for containing the malevolent energy.
Seeing the cold sweat still beading on Meng Qingxue's forehead, Zhu Que went over to embrace her and offer some comfort.
After settling Meng Qingxue at the Shi family's residence, Chen Yang finally inquired about her experiences on the mountain.
"I just patrolled the mountain for a while. I didn't even enter their mine."
"If there was anything strange, it was last night when I encountered a peculiar old woman while on patrol."
"I thought she was lost at the time, but it turns out she lived in the woods on the mountain."
"I even rested in her stone house for a while."
Shi Wenli, who was listening nearby, immediately looked puzzled. "On Queyun Mountain?"
Meng Qingxue nodded immediately.
Then, Meng Qingxue saw Shi Wenli looking at her with astonishment and said word by word, "Apart from the mine, there's absolutely nowhere else to live on that mountain."
"The only dwelling there is the house Zhu Que built on the front mountainside."
"The place you mentioned should be on the back mountain. Even the mine wouldn't be built there; there isn't even a path leading to it."
"I've never heard of anyone living in the depths of that mountain in my entire life. If Zhu Que hadn't spent money renovating the entire mountain a few years ago, it would still be a true wilderness."
"Even now, people go to the front more often. If it weren't for the dust from the mine carts, the front mountain would be quite beautiful."
As Meng Qingxue listened to all this, her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
For some reason, in Meng Qingxue's mind, the scenes from the previous night suddenly replayed.
The smile on the old woman's face was still deeply etched in Meng Qingxue's memory, and thinking about it now, it seemed incredibly terrifying!
Chen Yang gave Zhu Que a knowing look and said, "I'll go and check it out now. You two stay put in the village and don't wander off."
The village was very close to Queyun Mountain, and with Chen Yang's speed, he arrived at the location Meng Qingxue described in a short while.
However, there was no stone house as Meng Qingxue had described, only a chaotic tangle of dead trees.
A crow landed on a dead branch, stared intently at Chen Yang, let out a couple of caws, flapped its wings, and flew out of Chen Yang's sight.
Chen Yang paid no mind to the crow, but after it left his line of sight, it suddenly transformed into a human figure.
This crow was none other than Hei Ya, who had just escaped from beneath the glacier.
Hei Ya did not recognize Chen Yang, nor had he ever heard Chen Yang's name. The last time the Divine Envoy caused a commotion in Qingzhou City, he had not been involved in any way.
Hei Ya strolled towards a large hollow tree and said in a low voice, "Are you not going to welcome me quickly?"
The next second, the hollow tree changed its appearance, revealing a cave entrance about a person high. It was so dark inside that one could not see a thing.
This was not Hei Ya's first time in this place, and he knew its peculiar nature. Without a second thought, he stepped inside.
The moment Hei Ya entered, the hollow tree outside returned to its original appearance.
Inside the hollow tree, there was a world of its own, with mountains and flowing water, as if it contained a universe within.
Hei Ya, however, knew that the actual space inside was no more than a hundred paces across; the surrounding scenery was merely an illusion.
Before Hei Ya stood a stone house.
An old woman slowly emerged from the stone house. She bowed deeply to Hei Ya, "Hu Feng greets Lord Hei Ya."
Hei Ya waved dismissively, strode past her into the house, and poured himself a cup of tea before saying, "This place of yours is becoming increasingly dangerous. Besides the Zhou family's Grandmaster, I also encountered a very powerful martial artist just now."
"Haven't you considered moving?"
Hu Feng had not been here for long, and faced with such a complicated situation, Hei Ya felt it was time to relocate.
Before he finished speaking, Hu Feng also walked in. However, her face no longer bore the appearance of an old woman but transformed into that of a beautiful maiden dressed in a sheer veil.
Hei Ya raised an eyebrow. Hu Feng's illusionary skills were formidable; even he could not completely break through them.
Hei Ya was unsure if this current appearance was Hu Feng's true face, but the moment Hu Feng sat into his lap, Hei Ya cast that question aside.