107-112

Chapter 107: Another Conspiracy

"Now this, is what I call a mighty coincidence."

Ling Jianqiu had taken Ye Qing to the secret archive and left him to his own devices after wrangling a promise out of him. A bit of searching later, he actually found a file that spoke of a location that seemed to contain the Burning Wind. It was said that there was a valley to the south of a mountain called Seenorth Mountain in Anyang. Beset by a deadly wind all year long, the valley was like a red hot furnace where no life could possibly survive. It was practically a land of extinction by all accounts. It was because the wind was so hot it felt like fire. It was also why the wind was called the Fire Wind, and the valley was named the Firewind Valley.

From what he could tell, the Fire Wind shared many characteristics with the Burning Wind. The only thing that was truly different ws the name. Therefore, he had good reason to believe that it was the astral qi he was looking for.

The real coincidence, however, was the fact that Jade Spring Village was also located in Seenorth Mountain. In fact, it was just a few kilometers away from Firewind Valley. This meant that the investigation and his objective were actually not in conflict with each other. In fact, he most likely could achieve both at the same time.

Sometimes, you could have the best of both worlds.

Ye Qing did not dilly-dally after obtaining the information he needed. He left after speaking with Ling Jianqiu and bidding him goodbye.

...

It was a calm, peaceful night until a gust of wind broke the silence.

"Who goes there?"

In his bedroom, Xiao Yang suddenly opened his eyes and raised a finger. Lightning crackled inside the room as a beam of deadly heat and power shot toward the exit.

The beam looked small and unassuming, but the bedroom suddenly heated up like someone had ignited the air. Vapor filled the whole room in just the blink of an eye, but none of the fragile items such as the curtains, the furniture and more were affected in the slightest. It was clear that he possessed as much finesse as he had power.

The powerful attack did not cause even a ripple after it flew outside, however. It was almost as if it had disappeared into a sea of darkness.

"Please restrain yourself. I come in peace."

A voice blew in with the wind. It was androgynous, so Xiao Yang could not tell if the uninvited stranger was male or female.

"Heh. Says the thief who tried to sneak into my house at midnight!" Xiao Yang sneered, but he did not follow up on his attack after sensing no retaliation from the unknown stranger.

"I came at midnight because it's the best time to talk business," The mysterious person outside his room replied, "and I haven't come tonight to steal from you. I've come to help you."

"Help me?" Xiao Yang smirked as if he had heard a joke. "And why would I need your help?"

The mysterious person didn't take offense at Xiao Yang's taunt. They replied, "I can help you kill Ye Qing!"

"How did you know that!?"

If Xiao Yang was wary but perfectly calm before, now he was like a man whose deepest secrets had been exposed under the sun. He abruptly sat up and emitted a golden light that illuminated the entire house [1] like the sun. However, the space just outside his bedroom remained shrouded in a fog of impenetrable darkness.

"Does it matter who I am? What matters is that we share the same goal. Just like you, I would love to see Ye Qing dead!" The mysterious voice declared.

Xiao Yang didn't respond immediately. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and continuously increased his power. His eyes burned like a pair of golden suns as a terrifying pressure enveloped the entire house.

A long time later, when his light still couldn't dispel the darkness outside, Xiao Yang abruptly smiled and withdrew his aura. "You're right. The enemy of my enemy is my friend! So tell me, how are you planning to kill Ye Qing? And before you say anything, I won't help you unless your plan is foolproof!"

"But of course!" The mysterious person replied as if they knew Xiao Yang would agree. "Ye Qing's background is unknown, but he is an exceptionally powerful warrior as unpredictable as he is alert. The only way to deal with him is to kill him in one strike, or he'll bring fire and brimstone upon all of his enemies."

"This might sound offensive, but not even a Vessel Augmentor like you has a one hundred percent chance to kill him!"

You don't say! Xiao Yang scoffed mentally. Ye Qing would be long dead if I was sure I could kill him!

"That said, even an elephant may fall to a horde of ants. If one man isn't enough, what about several others!" The mysterious person continued.

"Is this what you meant when you offered to help me?" Xiao Yang raised an eyebrow. He could tell from his earlier test that the mysterious person was quite powerful. If they joined hands, there was definitely a high chance they would be able to kill Ye Qing.

But to his surprise, the mysterious person said, "I will be joining you, but just the two of us are not enough to guarantee success! We need more people to ensure that there is no chance Ye Qing could turn the tables on us!"

"Who else do you intend to recruit?" Xiao Yang asked curiously.

The mysterious person answered right away, "The Li Clan and the Shen Clan!"

"And why would they agree to help us?"

"Because they're not helping us. They're just helping themselves!"

"If the Li Clan and the Shen Clan are the local snakes, then Ye Qing is the outsider dragon no one asked for. Not only did he kill Yan Tieyi and take over the Iron Shirt Gang, he also killed Zheng Feng and devoured the Zheng Clan as well. The teeth feel cold without the lips, and Li Yuankang and Shen Xian have been wary of him for a while now."

"On top of that, the Iron Shirt Gang managed to earn the government's favor and became far more powerful than they used to be, which only served to deepen their suspicions even more. They're both afraid that Ye Qing would abuse the connection to devour both the Shen Clan and the Li Clan and become the top dog in Anyang."

"To say that they want Ye Qing dead would be an understatement. They're a pile of dry wood just waiting to be set on fire!"

The mysterious person paused for a second before continuing, "You would be the spark in my plan. All you need to do is to treat them to the carrot and the stick, and they should cooperate with us!"

"Heh. Why me and not you?" Xiao Yang knew the carrot and the stick entailed, of course. The carrot was the chance to take out their greatest rival and take over the Iron Shirt Gang. They didn't need to worry about the repercussions either since he, a Patrolman of Luo Shui, would take care of that.

The stick was what would happen to them if they refused. He was a Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau, a powerful Vessel Augmentor and a disciple of Sunset Hill. Anyone of these identities was enough to make them regret ever crossing him, much less all three of them together. To put it simply, their fates were sealed from the moment the mysterious person had mentioned their names.

The mysterious person answered matter-of-factly, "You're a Patrolman and a disciple of Sunset Hill. You are easily the best person for this role!"

Xiao Yang shrugged. That was one point he couldn't refute. He asked, "By the way, you wanted to invite the Shen Clan and the Li Clan not just because they're useful and motivated, am I right?"

"Yes. Ye Qing is very close with the magistrate of Anyang, Yan Yufei and the Chief of Bureau, Ling Jianqiu. His background is unknown, but I wouldn't be surprised if he hails from a powerful clan or something. Someone has to carry the blame, and there is no one better than Li Yuankang and Shen Xian!"

The mysterious person's voice was gentle and kind, but Xiao Yang felt a chill when he heard this.

"Hahaha… that's a great plan!" He let out a dry laugh. It wasn't that he pitied the two patriarchs—he would've killed them himself because dead people were the only people that could keep a secret—but the way the mysterious person put it made him feel like they were like donkeys. The moment they were done pulling the mill, they would be slaughtered and cooked for dinner.

"I admit that your plan is viable, but even with the Li Clan and the Shen Clan's help, it's still going to be difficult to take out Ye Qing in Anyang!" Xiao Yang voiced another concern. Anyang was guarded by powerful warriors like Ling Jianqiu and Yan Yufei, and Ye Qing was good friends with them. If they made a mistake, the two men might be alerted to the assassination attempt and come to Ye Qing's rescue. It would be all for naught then.

"It won't be possible to assassinate Ye Qing in Anyang, and I wasn't planning to. We'll do it when he's outside the county!" The mysterious person answered.

"Outside? But why would he go outside?" Xiao Yang looked confused.

The mysterious person chuckled. "Ye Qing will be heading to Jade Spring Village to carry out a mass disappearance investigation tomorrow. That will be our best opportunity to kill him!"

"What? I'm a Patrolman of Luo Shui, and even I wasn't told about this incident. How on earth did you know that?" Xiao Yang's eyes flashed dangerously. "Are you a member of the Pacification Bureau as well, or do you have a plant in the Anyang headquarters?"

The voice turned cold and dangerous. "You do not need to know my identity, and you definitely shouldn't try to puzzle it out. I know about you far more than you know about me. If you work with me, then all is well. If not, then I promise you that you won't like the outcome!"

"Hahaha. Don't be mad, brother. I'm just speculating is all! I won't bring it up again, so relax, will you!" Xiao Yang laughed. "You have a deal. I hope for a good cooperation between us."

"Me too!"

The mysterious person had just finished speaking when Xiao Yang suddenly disappeared from his bed. He appeared outside his room in the blink of an eye, but he couldn't see anyone or anything. All there was left in the room was the echoes of the mysterious voice.

"Not bad…" The corners of Xiao Yang's lips curled into an sinister, ruthless smile.

"Ye Qing will die. Li Yuankang and Shen Xian will die. You will die by my hands as well…"

"Hehehe…"

...

"What are you doing here, Brother Xiao Yang?"

The next morning, Ye Qing left the county as soon as the morning gongs rang. However, he ran into Xiao Yang as soon as he left the gates.

"I was waiting for you, duh!" Xiao Yang replied matter-of-factly.

"Okay. For what?"

"To help you with your investigation, of course!"

"What?" Ye Qing exclaimed in surprise, "Are you accompanying me on my investigation of Jade Spring Village?"

"Got it in one!" Xiao Yang nodded with a wide grin on his face.

Ye Qing asked suspiciously, "But how did you know about this?"

Xiao Yang smiled. "Don't look down on me! I'm a Patrolman of Luo Shui, you know? As the overseer of all big or small matters happening in the nine counties under Luo Shui, of course I would know about such things."

"I was curious about the incident to begin with, and when I heard that Chief Ling had sent you to investigate this incident, I thought that I might as well come with you! Two heads are better than one, am I right?"

Ye Qing was suspicious of Xiao Yang's intentions at first, but his reply was so forthright that he couldn't help but wonder if he was just being paranoid. So, he replied, "You're right. I'll be counting on you then, Brother Xiao Yang!"

"You're welcome! Let's go!" Xiao Yang gave him a sunny smile and a pat on the shoulder. The duo then left Anyang together toward the east.

Jade Spring Village was about two days away from Anyang. Even with Xiao Yang and Ye Qing's speed, it would take them a day and a night to arrive at their destination. At least the Strangers near Anyang were almost extinct. The duo had not encountered any danger until they left the borders.

"We're at Coiled Snake Ridge now. Once we're through, we should arrive at Jade Spring Village in a couple of hours at most!" Ye Qing explained after taking a look at his map and the winding mountain ridge before them.

Xiao Yang stared at the uneven mountain roads and sighed. "Come on. Let's see if we can get through Coiled Snake Ridge and find a place to stay before it's dark."

"Yeah." Ye Qing nodded in agreement.

Unfortunately, their plan would be interrupted by a cry for help right before they were about to scale the mountains.

1. some houses do not have ceilings

Chapter 108: Beauty Snake

"Someone's crying for help!" Ye Qing and Xiao Yang exchanged a glance with each other before racing into the woods where the voice was coming from. As they were both Vessel Augmentors, it only took them a few seconds to reach their target.

Xiao Yang whistled immediately. "What a beauty!"

The crier turned out to be an exceptionally beautiful woman lying on the ground. Most of her body was hidden behind a tree, her countenance alone was enough to cause both men to swoon on their feet. Her facial features were bewitching, soft, and loving all at the same time, and her brown eyes seemed to hold all that was good and beautiful in the world. To say that she was overflowing with charm would be an understatement, it was like she was pulling at their very soul.

"Save me, please save me…" The woman's voice grew increasingly gentle and pleading when she saw them.

"Don't worry, lass! I'll save you!" Xiao Yang replied even as his eyes grew increasingly out of focus for some reason. His feet were carrying him toward the young woman before he knew it.

Is this what they call love at first sight? I can't help but be drawn to her…

The young woman's voice was like magic. It muddled Ye Qing's mind until the only thought that was left was: Go to her, go to her, go to her—

"No!"

Ye Qing had just taken a few steps when his mindspace suddenly shook, and the Emperor Fuxi Visualization Method surfaced in his mind. When he regained clarity of mind, he looked at the woman once more and broke out in cold sweat immediately.

The woman was still beautiful, but that was only if he looked at the top half of her body. The bottom half of her beauty was a long snake tail that was covered in colorful scales. They shimmered eerily and hypnotically under the sunlight. It felt both paradoxical and chilling to see her calling out to them like nothing was going on while her lower half was coiled around the tree trunk.

Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and caught Xiao Yang's shoulder. At the same time, he imbued his spirit into his voice and uttered, "Careful, brother."

"What's wrong?" Xiao Yang blinked and regained his own clarity of mind. When he saw the snake woman for what she was, he jumped, "Mother of heavens! What the hell is this creature?"

"She's the beauty you speak of, duh!" Ye Qing joked. "It's the Beauty Snake, a Malice-class Stranger!"

"Beauty Snake?" Xiao Yang goggled. "That name sounds familiar. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I've heard of it before!"

And by that you mean you have no idea what a Beauty Snake is, and you need me to explain it to you like you're a three-year-old. Got it.

And so Ye Qing explained, "The Beauty Snake is a Stranger with a human's upper body and a snake's lower half. It excels at hiding itself in the darkness and luring travelers to their doom using its exquisite countenance and some sort of hypnosis power. If the traveler fails to break out of the hypnosis, then the Beauty Snake will devour them beginning from the feet."

"The victim would not feel any pain whatsoever as they are completely bewitched by the Beauty Snake's countenance and charm. They might awaken when they're completely inside its stomach, but by then, it would already be too late."

"Oh, now I remember!" Xiao Yang tapped his palm in realization. "Do you know that the Beauty snake is actually quite famous among the nobility? Some wealthy, lustful men enjoy breeding Beauty Snakes or turning their heads into specimens for collection purposes. Now that I've seen it with my own eyes, I can understand why they want one!"

Holy shit there are scalies in this world and one of them is right next to me, Ye Qing thought in horror while stealthily stepping away from Xiao Yang. "Well, there's a live one right in front of you. If you want to catch it…"

Xiao Yang waved him off. "Nah, forget it. It's pretty to look at, but that's all. Not only that, it might eat me alive, which is… huh… anyway, I'm not strong enough to handle it!"

Ye Qing: "..."

Is it just me, or did he just admit to having a vore fetish?

"Save me… save me…"

Meanwhile, the Beauty Snake was trying even harder to hypnotize the two men after they stopped in their tracks. Its facial features grew even prettier, and its voice even more bewitching than before. But since the two men were prepared, of course they did not succumb to its power as a matter of course.

A short while later, when the Beauty Snake finally realized it wasn't going to work, her voice abruptly turned shrill and unholy. Its face became warped like that of a monster as well. A snake's tongue flickered out of its throat, and a disgusting stench began to permeate the air.

"Still think she's beautiful?" Ye Qing asked.

"..." Xiao Yang couldn't say anything. If its face was as beautiful as a goddess' before, now it was a kind of horror only a mother could love.

"Let's get on with this already!" Xiao Yang humphed and stepped forward.

The air shook, and the earth shuddered when he took his first step. It was as if he was drawing power from all around him. Sensing the danger, the Beauty Snake recoiled and spat out a cloud of rainbow-colored gas. The gas looked colorful and smelled sweet, but it withered every plant that came into contact with it. It was clearly very poisonous. However, the poison gas abruptly burst into flames before it could spread closer, and the Beauty Snake with it as well.

"Craaaaaaah!" The Beauty Snake shrieked in pain while dropping on the ground and rolling back and forth like a log. Its flailing tail was powerful enough to break trees and crush stones, and yet it just couldn't extinguish the flames on its body no matter what.

The flames were golden in color and exceedingly bright. It was also so hot that the surrounding air became distorted as if the forest had suddenly turned into a furnace. Naturally, the Beauty Snake was burned into ashes in just an instant.

What an incredible astral qi! Ye Qing thought as he observed the battle. As it turned out, Xiao Yang's astral qi was a fire element astral qi just like Qing Kui's, though there was of course a great difference between the two astral qis. If Qing Kui's astral qi was like a monster in the dark ready to spill blood and gore at a moment's notice, then Xiao Yang's was like the midday sun; hot, bright and utterly fearless. It was no less powerful than Qing Kui's astral qi!

"Game over. Now, let's continue on our way!" Xiao Yang clapped his hands and looked like he hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Not yet. Give me a moment." Ye Qing stopped Xiao Yang before charging his sleeves with qi and sweeping away the unnatural dust and heat in the surroundings. Then, he walked up to the tree where the Beauty Snake was coiled around earlier.

Xiao Yang's golden flame was so hot that it could burn even a Malice-class Beauty Snake into ash. However, the tree was only scorched on the outside.

By now, Xiao Yang had noticed the oddity as well. "Huh? What is this tree? How did it withstand my Purple Sun Gold Flame?"

Purple Sun Gold Flame? Is that the name of his astral qi? I wonder what grade it is? Ye Qing thought but did not allow it to show on his face. He answered, "This tree is called the Beauty Tree. It is born when it is struck by lightning. Extremely tough and impervious to fire, water, wind and even the cold, it is an excellent material to make a Strange Artifact."

"Of course, there is a reason why it's called the Beauty Tree instead of the Lightning Tree or something. It's because the Beauty Snake is born from it. So long as the Beauty Tree is still alive, a new Beauty Snake will replace the one that was killed."

Ye Qing pressed a palm to the tree trunk and sucked in a deep breath. A toad-like croak erupted from his abdomen, and his palm crackled with lightning.

"Toad Force"

"Boundless Lightning Palm"

Rumble!

The tyrannical force poured into the Beauty Tree and easily exploded the tree trunk that withstood the Purple Sun Gold Flame. The ghost of a Beauty Snake howled and flew out of the tree—it was obviously the Beauty Snake Xiao Yang had just killed—but it dissipated into nothing just as quickly.

One silver rune, get! Ye Qing thought happily when he confirmed that the Beauty Snake was truly dead. This was why he hadn't attacked the Stranger sooner. One, it was to check out Xiao Yang's abilities, and two, he knew that Xiao Yang would not be able to eliminate the Beauty Snake in one strike. Why would he exert himself when he could reap the rewards without?

"Most impressive, brother! You're surprisingly knowledgeable, aren't you?" Xiao Yang did not suspect a thing and sung his praises.

Ye Qing returned a humble smile and said, "You're welcome. I am a scholar!"

"..."

We can still be friends if you never use the word "scholar" again!

Ye Qing and Xiao Yang resumed their journey after taking out the Beauty Snake. Coiled Snake Ridge wasn't particularly tall, but it was winding, crooked, and circled back and forth like an actual snake. The path itself was extremely rugged and seemingly endless as well, not to mention the bountiful of sudden cliffs and scarps along the way. It was so infamous that someone had even made a short poem for it,

"Like an epic

the mountain twists and turns

Each step

Can be the step that leads to the heavens."

A normal person would be hardpressed crossing Coiled Snake Ridge in a single day, but Ye Qing and Xiao Yang were powerful warriors with excellent movement skills and great stamina. It took them only a short time to cross over half of the terrain. When they arrived at a hanging bridge, Ye Qing said, "We're making good progress. At this rate, we should make it out of the mountains before night falls."

"Yeah!" Xiao Yang nodded in agreement. "I can't wait to get off these mountains. My feet feel like they might fall off my ankles at any moment."

The hanging bridge was about thirty meters long. It was a series of wooden planks chained together by iron. There were no handrails. The hanging bridge was the only thing that connected the two hills, and it was suspended above a gulf of clouds. The scenery looked like something straight out of a painting or a celestial realm.

The duo encountered no danger until they reached the center of the hanging bridge. It was then the surrounding clouds suddenly churned unnaturally.

"Careful. Something's not right!" Xiao Yang warned immediately. Right after that, a plethora of ethereal figures abruptly appeared behind them and walked forward like they were in the middle of crossing the bridge as well. Their silhouettes grew increasingly solid with every step until Ye Qing and Xiao Yang saw them for what they were. They were soldiers wearing armor and carrying sickle spears, but something wasn't right about them. Their armor looked outdated, and sickle spears were oddly-shaped. It didn't match the standard military equipment of Chu, Yan, Yong or Wei.

The soldiers were marching in full military formation, and they looked ready to fight at any moment. They were walking straight toward Ye Qing and Xiao Yang, but strangely, their footsteps made not a single sound, and the soldiers were staring straight ahead as if they couldn't see the two warriors.

"That's… the standard equipment of the You Dynasty!" Xiao Yang blanched. "They're You soldiers! But this cannot be possible!"

Ye Qing knew exactly what he meant. A thousand years ago, You was an almighty empire that had unified the lands and ruled over the world. However, they had long been destroyed and consumed by Yan, Chu, Yong and Wei. Naturally, it was impossible for soldiers of the You Dynasty to still exist.

"No, they aren't alive… this is an Anomaly!"

In this world, an Anomaly was a special kind of Strange Realm or energy. It could also be some sort of unknowable existence. No one knows where they came from, how they were formed, or even what kind of dangers they contained because some Anomaly were everchanging. They were also impossible to destroy. A powerful warrior could wipe every trace of an Anomaly from this world, and it would simply come back after a period of time. It was terribly strange to put it mildly.

Anomaly usually appeared in fixed locations, and it was usually impossible to predict how dangerous it was until it was too late. Some Anomaly were death traps with no possible escape, and some were completely harmless.

In other words, they were in deep shit.

"We need to go!" Xiao Yang uttered while looking like he had swollen something rotten, but Ye Qing shook his head and replied just as severely,

"It's too late!"

He said this because the You soldiers were already right in front of them.

Ye Qing and Xiao Yang tensed up like drawn bows and channeled their energies. They were ready to react as soon as they perceived any danger. However, the You soldiers walked right past them as if they couldn't see them. They kept going forward until suddenly, the foremost soldier looked over the bridge as if he saw something below. His look of surprise quickly morphed into abject terror as he opened his mouth and screamed something they couldn't hear. It was as if they existed in a different spacetime.

Something more horrifying happened next. The screaming soldier's head abruptly fell off his shoulders and spewed a fountain of blood! It almost looked like an overripe melon!

The soldiers fell into panic almost immediately. Everyone was looking down the hanging bridge to check what was going on, and whatever they saw had them so horrified that they were screaming like they had lost their minds. The next moment, one soldier exploded into several pieces as if he had been ripped apart by invisible hands, another lost his head as if he was hit by a giant hammer, a third soldier suffocated slowly like he was hanging from a rope, a fourth soldier abruptly went splat as if he had hit the ground at high velocity, a fifth soldier lost his flesh bit by bit like he was going through death by a thousand cuts until all that was left was a bloody skeleton, a sixth soldier burned into a pile of ashes and more.

It was a chilling sight to say the least

Chapter 109: Anomaly

"What… What the hell is going on here?" Xiao Yang gulped. His lips were blue with fear.

"I don't know, I'm not sure, don't ask me!" Ye Qing shook his head and quipped a triple denial. It was the truth though. Just like Xiao Yang, all he saw was the You soldiers looking over the bridge, recoiling in fear, and dying in all sorts of bizarre ways. He had instinctively glanced at the direction they were looking at, but he couldn't see anything that might have scared them to death, literally. All he saw was a bunch of clouds.

It wasn't long before all the soldiers were dead. Their dead bodies and the pools of blood turned what was a beautiful scenery into a horror show. Then, just as abruptly as they had appeared at the beginning, the clouds churned, and they all disappeared like they never were.

"They're… gone?!" Xiao Yang blinked a couple times in disbelief. "Is it finally over?"

But Ye Qing shook his head with a severe expression. "No. I think it has just begun!"

Xiao Yang followed Ye Qing's gaze and looked over the bridge. He immediately noticed that the clouds were no longer floating peacefully like they used to. Instead, they were twisted and turned restlessly as if something massive and terrifying was swimming underneath the clouds.

Both men tensed up for some sort of horror to emerge from the depths, but a few seconds later, they realized that nothing was happening. Ye Qing let out a sigh of relief before urging, "Let's get to the other side while it's still safe!"

"Yeah!" Xiao Yang nodded and took a single step. Ye Qing did the same thing as well. As soon as they did this, Ye Qing abruptly shuddered and stared down the bridge in horror. It was because a corpse had suddenly appeared on the clouds. Its face was contorted in terror, and its eyes were bulging out of its eye sockets. Its tongue extended all the way down to its stomach not unlike someone who had died by hanging. The corpse was none other than himself!

"Gulp…" Ye Qing swallowed audibly. Unless he was gravely mistaken, the You soldiers must have witnessed their own dead bodies as well. That was why they had lost their composure so badly. Anyone would be shocked and terrified after meeting their own doppelganger, much less one who had died in such a horrifying fashion.

"Ahhhh!? W-Why is my dead body down there?" It was at this moment Xiao Yang let out a cry of terror. Clearly, he had seen his own corpse beneath the bridge as well. Suddenly, the man stiffened as if an invisible force had trapped him in place. Then, his head slowly turned toward his back. Ye Qing could only watch in horror as Xiao Yang struggled with all his might to no avail. Eventually—

Crack!

Xiao Yang's neck broke with an audible snap, and his head spun two full revolutions before it finally came to a stop.

Ye Qing thought that this was the end of Xiao Yang, but the Astral Refiner abruptly vanished in a poof and left a mysterious doll behind. The mysterious doll was small enough to fit on a palm, but it had baby-like skin and flesh and a life-like expression. It almost looked like it was alive.

It was at this moment the mysterious doll's head spun around twice. The doll was still alive, however. Its face simply turned purple as if it couldn't breathe. The doll then grabbed its head with its fat little hands and twisted it back to normal. Then, it started running toward Xiao Yang, who had reappeared a short distance away from it.

That wasn't the end of the horror show, however. As it ran, the doll suddenly started bleeding out of its eyes, and an invisible force continued to twist its neck round and round. When it was just three inches away from Xiao Yang, the invisible force pulled its head right off its shoulders. The next moment, the mysterious doll exploded into smithereens, but instead of flesh and blood it spilled some sort of milky white worm that was about the length of a finger.

Substitute Worms… That's the Substitute Doll! Ye Qing narrowed his eyes when he finally realized what the Strange Artifact was.

The milky white worm was a Malice-class Stranger called the Substitute Worm. It could be refined and used to block non-fatal damage on behalf of its user. On the other hand, the Substitute Doll was a Strange Artifact that could only be made via an extremely cruel method.

Two ingredients were necessary when making the Substitute Doll. The first one was, of course, the Substitute Worms, and the second one was an unborn fetus that was ten months old. The mother of the baby was continuously fed with Substitute Worms so that they would consume and replace the baby completely, forming the Substitute Doll. After the Substitute Doll was fully formed, it was simply a matter of cutting it out of the mother's stomach.

As the Substitute Doll was born like a human, it was semi-sentient and capable of blocking fatal damage for the owner.

Chen Cang's Scapedoll could only block one fatal damage for its owner, but the Scapedoll could be used repeatedly so long as it wasn't completely destroyed. It would recover naturally so long as the owner fed it Substitute Worms and cared for it for a time. Therefore, it was infinitely more valuable than the Scapedoll.

However, the method used to make the Substitute Doll was so cruel that the imperial count and many noble clans denounced it as heresy and put a ban on it. Only heretics and people who cared nothing for human lives would make a Substitute Doll.

"Pwack!"

The second the Substitute Doll was destroyed, Xiao Yang abruptly spat out a mouthful of blood and turned as pale as death. It was because the Strange Artifact was connected to him by his heart's blood.

It was at this moment Xiao Yang saw something else beneath the bridge and opened his mouth to scream again. But before he could do so, Ye Qing put a finger to his own lips and shook his head rapidly.

Xiao Yang was a Astral Refiner, so he wasn't so weak-willed that he couldn't even keep his mouth shut. He immediately clamped a hand over his mouth.

Ye Qing sucked in a deep breath and took another step. As soon as he did this, a new corpse surfaced from the clouds. Again it was his own body, but this time it looked like it had been torn from limb to limb.

I was right! Ye Qing was both relieved and glad that his guess was spot on. Earlier, he noticed that the You soldiers had all screamed in terror before the Anomaly took action. It was the same for Xiao Yang as well. On the other hand, he remained perfectly unharmed. That was why he guessed that only those who screamed after they saw their dead bodies would trigger the Anomaly.

But of course, he wouldn't know if his guess was true until he tested it out, so he forced himself to stay calm and performed an experiment. Thankfully, he was right. So long as he kept silent, the Anomaly could not harm him no matter how many bodies it generated.

Ye Qing took another step, and a new body appeared. This time, it was a drowned corpse that looked as inflated as a balloon. However, nothing happened to him because he remained silent. Now, he was absolutely certain of his theory.

By now, Xiao Yang had figured out the key to surviving this Anomaly as well. While keeping a tight grip over his mouth, he took a step forward and forced himself to stay silent when a new body rose from the depths of the clouds. Just like Ye Qing, nothing bad happened to him. The duo moved quickly after that, and it wasn't long before they crossed the bridge and reached the other side.

Both men heaved out a long sigh of relief once they were safe. When they looked back, they saw all kinds of corpses still floating above the clouds. It was like a gallery of the one thousand ways to die: drowning, burning, hanging, falling, dismemberment, torture... It was creepy to put it mildly.

It was at this moment the clouds churned once more, and eyeballs suddenly appeared beneath the bodies. Or rather, the bodies had been inside the eyeballs this whole time! Each eyeball held exactly one body and manner of death!

A few seconds later, the eyeballs slowly closed their eyes. Naturally, the bodies were gone as well. Then, what looked like a gigantic shadow sank deeper into the clouds and vanished completely.

"What… what was that thing?"

When the clouds had returned to normal, and neither man could sense any danger anymore, Xiao Yang finally mustered enough courage to ask a question. He looked more shaken than Ye Qing had ever seen him.

Ye Qing licked his dry lips and shrugged. "Do I look like I know what that is to you? That said, I remember reading a file stating that a surprising number of travelers had gone missing in Coiled Snake Ridge, but no one has ever found out why. It's most likely because of this Anomaly."

"We can mull over this after we get off this mountain ridge, yeah?" Xiao Yang said impatiently and gave him a slap on the shoulder. "I'm still feeling the creeps, and I do not want to find out if my intuition is correct!"

"Yeah. Let's leave." Ye Qing had no intention of staying either. Both men immediately took off at their fastest possible speed. It wasn't until Coiled Snake Ridge was completely behind them that they finally relaxed. It couldn't be helped. That Anomaly just now was beyond bizarre, and it was pure luck that they had survived. Hell, it was completely up to daddy heavens whether weaklings like them could survive an Anomaly at all.

Xiao Yang let out a long sigh of relief and smiled. "Thank the heavens that's behind us. Let's make haste and find a place to stay. The sky's almost dark, and I can use a drink to celebrate our survival!"

"I would agree, but we're still a good distance from Jade Spring Village, and it doesn't look like there's an inn nearby…" Ye Qing looked around once before looking up at the clouded sky. "Also, it looks like it might rain very soon. I think we'll have to sleep in a cave for the night!"

"Dammit, fine!" Xiao Yang nodded and started looking around. The good news was that they found an abandoned temple not long after they began their search. The bad news was that it looked like something straight out of a horror movie. The walls were cracked, the courtyard was overgrown with weed, the icon was tattered beyond recognition, and cobwebs were everywhere.

There was one thing that stood out compared to the rest of the building though. There was a wall that was covered in paintings of flying women. It was perfectly clean and unblemished as if someone had wiped it down everyday. Obviously suspicious, Ye Qing and Xiao Yang inspected it closely but could not find anything amiss. It probably was just a normal painting. So, they settled in the abandoned temple and tidied up the place a little.

They had just started a fire when a drizzle finally began to fall from the darkened sky.

"Have a drink, brother! It'll warm you right up!"

Xiao Yang tossed a wine jar in Ye Qing's direction and took a sip from his own wine. He looked so comfortable he could doze off this second.

Ye Qing caught the wine jar and produced the jerkies he had prepared beforehand. A sip here, a sweet jerky there, this is the life!

Bang!

Alas, the peace was shattered when the door to the temple abruptly exploded into smithereens like it was struck by a tremendous force. A cold, watery wind blew into the temple instantly.

"Motherfucker! This rain came out of fucking nowhere! I'm completely wet!" A coarse, uncouth voice came from outside.

"Yeah, it's pretty cold. Thank the heavens there's a temple here. Let's get inside and warm up with some wine already!"

A group of sixteen men filed into the room immediately. They didn't just look powerful, not even the rain was enough to dispel the blood stench clinging to their bodies. It was obvious they were no one to be trifled with.

One man stood out among them all, however. He had a thick beard on his face and looked as brawny as a tiny hill. He was also clad in a wolfskin that made him look like a man-shaped brute. His eyes were what really drew attention though. They were dark green unlike most humans, and they glowed in the dark like a pair of cold, eerie lanterns.

The big man spotted Ye Qing and Xiao Yang immediately after he entered the temple. When he squinted, a sharp glint flashed across his eyes not like the edge of a sharp blade.

"It's not empty?" One subordinate following behind the big man exclaimed in surprise when he saw Ye Qing and Xiao Yang. He shuffled closer to his leader and whispered, "Boss, should we…"

He made a cutting motion in front of his neck. His meaning was obvious.

"They're two men camping out in the middle of nowhere. Do you really think they'd be easy to deal with? Control yourself!" The big man whispered back.

"Yes, boss!" The subordinate replied with a tinge of disappointment.

Chapter 110: I Like Men

The temple entrance was at least a dozen meters away from where Ye Qing and Xiao Yang were resting, not to mention that it was raining outside. That was why the two men were certain that their whispers wouldn't be overheard. Unfortunately, they were wrong. Ye Qing and Xiao Yang heard every word as clear as day.

The two warriors exchanged a cold smirk with each other. Out of the sixteen people, their leader was the only one who was a Vessel Augmentor. Everyone else was either a Qi Invoker or even a Reforged. The idea that these people could take them out was laughable at best and stupid at worst.

The temple felt a lot more crowded with the addition of sixteen men, but it was also a lot livelier than before. The drinkers drank, the gossipers gossiped, and the finger-guessers guessed fingers to their heart's content!

At first, the men were fairly restrained probably because their leader had warned them about being too boisterous before. However, that restraint was quickly forgotten after they had downed a few bowls of yellow wine. Some of them started singing on top of their lungs or jumping all over the place like monkeys. Two men were even having a cursing contest with each other and greeting the other person's family all the way to the eighteenth generation. Of course, their peers were more than happy to fan the flames and cheer them on. For a time, it was as if the laughter would never end.

Ye Qing and Xiao Yang did not bother them. They simply ate their food, drank their wine, and enjoyed the show like they were in a theater.

Suddenly, a man drunk out of his tits pointed at the painting of flying women and yelled, "Hot damn! Take a look at that wall! Those girls are to die for!"

A few men immediately rushed to his side and oohed and aahed at the painting. One of them let out a lustful cackle and said, "Damn, you're right! Look at those sweet lips, those bountiful breasts, and those smooth, long legs! If only they're real!"

"I know right? I would happily take ten years off my lifespan if I could marry a woman like this!"

"Ten years? I would happily give up my life if I could sleep with all these women for just a single night!"

"Someone's feeling a little thirsty, I see! Don't worry, Monkey! When we raid our next village, I'll personally round up a couple women for ya to enjoy!"

"Hehe! Thanks, Brother Hound!"

"Watcha lookin' at, pretty boy?" The guy named Hound suddenly wheeled around and glared fiercely at Ye Qing. "Look somewhere, or I'll dig ya eyes out!"

Ye Qing sipped his wine and raised an eyebrow. "I'm looking at the painting, duh. Since when is it a crime to admire a painting? You're not jealous over a couple of fake women, are you?"

"Women? Do you even have a bush down there, brat?" Hound taunted and received a round of applause and cheers from his fellow brothers.

The corner of Ye Qing's lips turned up as he responded, "Of course I have. How else did you come to be in this world?"

At first, the crowd was speechless. Then, they burst into an uproarious laughter, "Hahahahahaha!"

Hound was either slower or drunker than the rest of his buddies, because he was unable to comprehend Ye Qing's meaning until someone had whispered to him about it. Embarrassed and enraged, he uttered, "How dare you call me your son! I'll kill you!"

As soon as he said this, he curled his fingers like they were claws and crouched lower, fingernails glittering in the dark as if they were covered in steel. At the same time, he swayed back and forth and his teeth for all to see. Eyes flickering with bestial madness, he moved his fists up and down like a pendulum and growled gutturally like a crazed dog.

The next second, Hound bounded forward as if he had found an opening and opened his mouth fully. He looked like he was planning to rip out Ye Qing's throat with his bare teeth!

The young man barely reacted to the pouncing man though. He simply took another sip from his glass and smiled, "Doggie? I love doggies! I love doggie meat even more!"

Hound was less than one meter away from Ye Qing when his face suddenly morphed into absolute terror, and his head abruptly separated from his neck. He was dead just like that!

The men's cruel smiles froze on their faces. Hound was one of the strongest warriors of their group, and he was infamous for his Mad Hound Fist. But not only did he die, they never even saw how he was killed!

The unknown led to fear, and fear led to outrage.

"How dare you kill one of our brothers! I'll kill you!"

Six men who were too drunk to realize the danger immediately pulled out their blades and prepared to charge Ye Qing. However, they had just taken a single step when they suddenly froze in their tracks, and a red line appeared around their necks. The next second, their heads tumbled to the ground, and their bodies followed just a beat behind. Most of them didn't even seem to realize that they were dead until their life had fully departed their bodies.

The remaining men turned as white as a sheet as they stared at the floor of heads and headless bodies on the floor. For a time, it felt like a mountain was sitting on everyone's chest!

It was at this moment the leader saluted Ye Qing from a distance and spoke up, "My men should not have disturbed you. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience they have caused." He then raised his voice and ordered, "Toss the bodies out of the temple. I'm sure our friends would rather not smell their filthy blood while enjoying their meal!"

"Y-Yes boss!" The men responded and threw out the bodies as quickly as they could. They even wiped away the bloodstains for fear that Ye Qing would use it as an excuse to kill them all!

Unfortunate. The boss is smarter than he looks, Ye Qing thought while sipping his wine. He was hoping that these people would get in over their heads and try to swarm them or something. It was obvious that none of them were good people. In fact, he was pretty sure from their earlier conversation and behavior that they were evil, vicious bandits who had tortured and killed many innocent people in the past. If it wasn't for the fact that he sense a hint of danger from their leader, every bandit in this room would be dead already.

Besides obvious self-defense, the other reason he killed Hound and the other attackers was to make an example out of them. It was almost guaranteed that these bandits would try something funny when they tucked in for the night. Killing some of them now would make sure that even the bravest man of the group would stay firmly in his corner.

As expected, the uninvited guests were much more subdued afterward. They even lowered their voice to a murmur so as not to disturb Ye Qing or Xiao Yang.

After dinner was done, everyone huddled around their campfires and caught some rest. The temple grew quieter and quieter until all that was left was the sound of rain, the howling wind, and the crackling flames.

"Young master? Young master?"

Ye Qing was half-asleep when he suddenly heard a gentle voice calling out to him. There was even a waft of something fragrant tickling his nostrils.

"Hmm?" Ye Qing jolted awake and opened his eyes. He was immediately greeted by one of the most beautiful faces he had ever seen. If the Beauty Snake's face was devilishly sensual and hypnotic, then this woman was an amalgamation of femininity, elegance, roses and lilies. Their strengths were different, but they were equally beautiful.

"You're…" Ye Qing felt slower than usual as he massaged his forehead. He looked around and discovered that he was lying inside an antique but well-decorated bedroom. Judging from its many feminine designs, it was clearly a woman's bedroom. "Where am I?"

He clearly remembered spending the night in a decrepit temple, so how on earth did he come here?

"My name is Ying Xiu!" The woman bowed elegantly as she answered in a crisp, gentle voice, "You're in my bedroom right now."

"That's an answer, but not the one I seek." Ye Qing narrowed his eyes and sat upright. "What I mean is, where is this place?"

"Does it really matter?" Ying Xiu smiled. The way her sweet lips slowly spread resembled a blooming lily. "The room is warm, and the night is young. Why don't we focus on the present and leave the exploring for another time?"

"Focus on the present, you say?" Ye Qing smirked. "Okay! Tell, what did I, Ye Liangchen, do to deserve a beauty like you?"

Ying Xiu did not take offense despite Ye Qing's implications. Smiling as bright as ever, she asked, "Is my looks not to your liking, young master? That's okay. I have a lot of sisters. I can have all of them serve you if you like?"

She clapped her hands once, and four women opened the bedroom door and stepped in. Their appearances were distinctly different from each other. Some of them were plump, and some of then thin. Their heights ranged from incredibly tall to incredibly short as well. Even their character was completely different. The first woman was as cold and proud as a plum, and the second as elegant and intellectual as an orchid. The third woman was as sumptuous and noble as a peony, and the fourth as passionate and joyful as a fiery rose.

But no matter how different they looked, they were all gorgeous beyond imagination.

"My name is Plum. Pleased to meet you, young master!"

"My name is Lily. Pleased to meet you, young master!"

"My name is Peony. Pleased to meet you, young master!"

"My name is Rose. Pleased to meet you, young master!"

All four women bowed and greeted him sweetly. It was such an impressive performance that even the room seemed more vibrant and colorful than before.

"Wow, your looks are incredible, but your names are seriously… something. Ahem." Ye Qing rubbed his nose and sighed. "It's too bad there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world though, much less one that is this incredible. It's way overboard even for a dream, you get me?"

"More importantly… Do you really think that mere sex is enough to confound I, Ye Liangchen!?"

Ye Qing swung his sleeve and unleashed a mighty blast as soon as he finished. It easily pushed the five defenseless women into the air and shattered the bedroom door. However, the five women dissipated into smoke instead of bleeding like a normal person would.

"I knew they weren't human!" Ye Qing dashed out of the room and landed in a garden. It was covered in beautiful flowers and lush trees. He also saw small bridges flying over cool streams and exquisite buildings littered around the garden. To put it simply, it looked like paradise on earth.

"Hahaha…"

"Oh, you…"

As if on cue, the five women reappeared in the sky while giggling like bells. "There is no such thing as a man without lust. Why did you hurt us, young master? Is it because we aren't beautiful enough?"

"Not at all! You're some of the most gorgeous women I've met!" Ye Qing replied honestly.

Ying Xiu smiled. "Then why do you spurn us?"

Ye Qing rubbed his nose and shrugged innocently. "It's because I like men!"

Ying Xiu: "..."

Plum: "..."

Everyone else: "..."

It was at this moment another man flew out of a pavilion while laughing, "It was fun playing with you all, but I think I've had enough!"

When he looked down and saw Ye Qing standing in the garden, he landed beside him and greeted, "Hello again, brother!"

He was none other than Xiao Yang, of course!

"Say, you're a well-traveled Patrolman, right? Do you happen to recognize these Strangers?" Ye Qing asked.

Unfortunately, Xiao Yang shook his head and said, "No. I've never encountered them before!"

Ye Qing rolled his eyes and said, "Let's get out of this place first!"

Using his foot as the axle, Ye Qing did a half turn and threw a ton of throwing knives in every direction. They easily pierced through the women's throats and turned them into mist. Xiao Yang too unleashed a palm strike that seemed to compress the air itself and crushed the women who were chasing after him. However, they too vanished like smoke and did not leave behind a body.

"I don't think we can kill them here!" Ye Qing frowned and dashed toward the exit, but right before he was about to leave the residence, the space around him suddenly rippled like water. Before he knew it, he was back in the garden once more.

"Let me try!" Xiao Yang pushed off the ground and shot straight up into the sky, but just a few seconds later, he reappeared at the exact same spot as before.

"There's no way out?"

Ye Qing and Xiao Yang exchanged a deep frown. It was impossible to leave the residence normally, and even the sky was off limits. What else could they do to escape? Dig underground?

Chapter 111: Wall Painting

"Hahaha… Why do you want to leave? Isn't it nice here?"

Ying Xiu, Plum, and a dozen other women appeared in the sky once more. It would be a wonderful sight if not for the fact that they were trying to trap them in this place.

"Look at them! Look how happy they are!"

Ying Xiu waved a hand and conjured an image. It showed everything that was happening inside the surrounding pavilions. The men they were spending the night with earlier were currently having the time of their life. There were delicious food, sweet wine, melodious music, and warm, succulent bodies that promised never-ending pleasure.

"Stay with us!"

"Stay with us!"

The women beseeched once more with their sweet lips and bewitching eyes that could steal the soul itself.

"Heh. They got their wish after all," Ye Qing commented mockingly. The women were hoping to seduce him with the lustful scenes, but he could see what was really happening in the pavilions. Unbeknownst to themselves, the delicious food they were eating were really their own flesh, the sweet wine they were drinking were really their own blood, and the holes they were plowing were really their own body!

The pain alone should've jolted awake a long time ago, and yet they could not seem to feel it one bit. Worst of all, they were all wearing bloody, skeletal smiles that were absolutely horrifying to look at!

Boom!

Xiao Yang stomped his foot against the ground and conjured what looked like a dragon of debris. It flew straight toward the women and shredded them to nothing yet again. This time, the women reappeared with hideous snarls and vicious expressions on their faces.

"You have wronged us for the last time, wretches! Taste our wrath!"

Ying Xiu abruptly raised her head and screamed. The rest of the girls did the same thing as well. The soundwaves spread out like ripples and crushed the bridges, the streams, the pavilions and everything else into dust. Not even the ghastly women and the skeletal men inside the buildings were safe from the attack.

"Hmph!" Both Ye Qing and Xiao Yang stifled a groan as blood spurted out of their orifices. Their head pounded like someone was hitting it with a hammer as well.

"Bitch!" Xiao Yang roared, so furious that golden flames were spilling out of his eyes. He clenched his right hand and gradually lifted it into the air, the golden flames surrounding his fist growing thicker with every inch it rose.

When his fist was held high above his head, a piercing light abruptly illuminated the entire residence like the sun. Space shook, and everyone and everything within the light disintegrated into nothing. Naturally, the deadly sound attack was cut off as well.

However, a bunch of clouds joined together and reformed Ying Xiu and the ghastly women once more. Worse, their auras felt just as powerful as before.

"Are they actually unkillable?! How the hell are we going to survive this?" Xiao Yang burst out in anger and disbelief. Although the women themselves were pretty fragile, they had proven themselves to be unkillable no matter what they tried. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they ran out of strength and died.

"Haha! You cannot escape!" Ying Xiu giggled. This time, the sound spread to every corner of the residence and manipulated the clouds into crashing toward them like a tidal wave.

Boom!

Xiao Yang threw another punch and unleashed his astral qi. A sea of golden flames immediately filled the sky and scattered the clouds. However, the clash was so violent that he couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood.

Looking as pale as a sheet, Xiao Yang looked at Ye Qing and asked, "What do we do?"

The young man had been leaving the battle to Xiao Yang and observing his surroundings the whole time. Squinting a little and rubbing his nose, he said suddenly, "Follow me!"

Xiao Yang's eyes lit up. "Do you have a plan?"

"I'm not sure, but it's better than nothing!"

He then charged straight toward the spirit screen [1] at the center of the residence.

The women suddenly turned furious when they noticed Ye Qing's intentions. They all flew toward the duo at the same time.

I was right! Ye Qing thought in relief as he took out all their pursuers yet again using the Blood Shadows he had hidden in the sky. By the time Ying Xiu and her girls had reformed once more, it was already too late.

"No!" Ying Xiu screeched in anger.

"What do we do?" Xiao Yang asked.

"Don't stop!" Ye Qing replied simply and charged even faster toward the spirit screen.

"What are you doing, brother? It's still too early to commit suicide!" Xiao Yang exclaimed in shock. His first thought was that Ye Qing was planning to brain himself against the wall to preserve his honor or something. While the notion was absolutely ridiculous to him, there were some people out there who valued their honor over their life. Maybe Ye Qing was one of those people?

Ye Qing didn't explode into a shower of blood and gore, however. He simply passed right through the shadow screen and disappeared.

"It's the exit!?" Xiao Yang exclaimed in realization. He followed right behind Ye Qing and vanished into the wall as well. In the sky, Ying Xiu's furious screech echoed like it would never end.

"The temple? We're back!"

After Ye Qing and Xiao Yang had passed through the spirit screen, they discovered that they had reappeared in the rundown temple. Xiao Yang asked curiously, "How did you know that the spirit screen is the exit?"

Ye Qing explained, "While you were battling against the Strangers, I noticed that everything in the residence except the spirit screen was disintegrated by the shockwaves. That is why I figured that the spirit screen is the only real object in that world, and possibly the exit."

"Of course, I didn't actually know if it would work until I tried. Thankfully, I was right!"

"Thank goodness you're here, brother, or I most likely would've died to those terrible women!" Xiao Yang said gratefully while giving Ye Qing a friendly clap on the shoulder, but in reality he was wary of the young man more than ever before. They had encountered two deadly dangers so far—the Anomaly on the bridge and now the ghastly women—and both times Ye Qing had displayed exceptional intelligence and collectedness. In fact, he had outdone him, a Patrolman of the Pacification Bureau. Of course, it was partly because he was hiding his strength, but there was no denying that Ye Qing was a formidable warrior.

And that was exactly why he could not allow him to live.

"What are you looking at, brother?" Xiao Yang asked when he noticed that Ye Qing wasn't paying attention to him. Instead, he walked up to the wall painting with a deep frown on his face.

"Don't you think it's strange? We were resting in this temple and minding our own business when suddenly, we all woke up in that residence. Not only that, we reappeared in this temple right after we passed through the exit. Finally, don't you think that this wall painting looks a little familiar? It looks pretty similar to the spirit screen we passed through earlier, don't you think?"

"Are you saying that that strange residence is connected to this wall?" Xiao Yang frowned as well.

He wasn't an idiot. He noticed that something was off with this abandoned temple from the start, and this wall was easily the most suspicious object of them all.

"That will be an understatement. I suspect that the world we were trapped in earlier is this painting," Ye Qing guessed while rubbing his chin.

"I agree. What is your plan?"

"In the painting, the Strangers are the absolute rulers of the world, unkillable and immortal. We were much weaker than we should be as well!" Ye Qing's eyes glimmered with intelligence. "But outside? Outside is a different story, won't you agree?"

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Xiao Yang's eyes lit up.

"Exactly!" Ye Qing raised his hand and turned his wrist slightly. An unbelievable amount of force and lightning immediately sprung into existence.

"Boundless Lightning Palm"

The wall painting had one last surprise for them, however. Before Ye Qing could unleash his attack, the silhouettes on the wall suddenly morphed into warped, ghastly faces and howled soundlessly at the duo. They swelled outward as if they were trying to push out of the wall. Not only that, an evil, distorted energy washed over the temple and attempted to restrain Ye Qing, though it was a far cry from the power that they experienced inside the painting.

In response, Ye Qing let out an imperious hmph and channeled his true qi. When the force gathering around his palm had reached a critical point, he pressed it against the wall painting with surprising gentleness almost as if he was caressing a fragile object.

The wall painting immediately distorted as if it was being disrupted by some sort of invisible force. Then, the residence, the pretty women, the background and everything started disappearing inch by inch as if wiped by an invisible eraser. In the end, all that was left was a grayish black wall.

Cracks started spreading across the wall until the whole chunk resembled a spider's web. A few breaths later, it abruptly crumbled into a pile of debris and dust. However, right as the wall fell apart, a brawny figure abruptly emerged into the open. It was none other than the leader of the bandit group. It would seem that the painting's destruction also allowed him to break free from its influence and escape back into the real world.

"Thank you for saving my life!" The brawny man immediately thanked Ye Qing and Xiao Yang after escaping the painting. "I am Zhao, and I swear I will repay your kindness one day! Goodbye!"

The brawny man dashed toward the exit as soon as he finished. He seemed to be in a great hurry for some reason. He had just reached the center of the temple when Ye Qing said,

"I'll give you a lift!"

"What?"

The brawny man did not understand what Ye Qing was saying and looked back instinctively. He immediately saw a flash of steel flying straight toward him.

"You—!"

His pupils contracted into pins as the premonition of death gripped his limbs. He immediately let out a growl, crouched down, and extended both hands toward the incoming attack. At the same time, thick, black hair started growing out of his arms and his face at an exponential rate. They glittered in the dark and looked just as tough as steel.

That wasn't all. His bones abruptly grew larger and thicker, and his fingernails elongated until they resembled claws. His human arms had transformed into wolf arms, and his human hands had transformed into wolf claws in just the blink of an eye. A pair of canine teeth had also grown out of his mouth, giving him the appearance of a wolf.

"Awooooooo!"

The leader crushed the incoming attack with his bare hands before crouching on the ground and bending his back. Muscles tensing, he abruptly kicked off the floor and shot toward the exit like a loose arrow.

His speed was incredible, and for a second it looked like he might just make it out of the temple alive. Then, the leader abruptly turned limp as if he suddenly lost all strength in his body, and his head rolled right off his neck. It looked like a ripe apple from a distance.

"What a fast blade!" Xiao Yang praised even as his pupils contracted into pins. The leader thought he had stopped Ye Qing's attack, but in reality it was just an afterimage. The real attack had sliced through his neck so fast that he never even realized he was dead until his body abruptly gave up on him.

"But why did you kill him, brother?" Xiao Yang asked in puzzlement.

Ye Qing replied indifferently, "He and his group are the Wolf Raiders."

"The Wolf Raiders?" Xiao Yang walked up to the headless leader and kicked his body over. After a brief inspection, he nodded. "You're right! In that case, well done!"

A Wolf Raider was almost the same as a Grave Raider except that a Grave Raider fed on corpses, while a Wolf Raider fed on human flesh. It should not need to be said which was the worse between the two. Moreover, a Wolf Raider was a former human who gave up on humanity to survive. It was one thing if they repented and returned to being human, but if they did not, then they would gradually transform into a half-Stranger and lose their humanity permanently. They fed on humans, lived in the wilderness, and kept company with Strangers. They were ruthless, inhuman bastards to put it mildly.

A Wolf Raider wasn't fully human or Stranger. It was an amalgamation who possessed the worst qualities of both entities. It was decreed by Chu that all half-humans who harmed their fellow human beings were to be killed without mercy, so what Ye Qing did was an act of justice, not murder!

"Phew… the sun's up, and the evils are all dead. Let's resume our journey!" Ye Qing suggested while wiping the blood on his curved saber—he had gotten a new one after breaking his previous blade—and scanning the temple for loot. He was disappointed when he found nothing worthwhile, but the wall painting Stranger should give him some dragon-serpent runes, so it wasn't a complete waste of effort. If he wasn't mistaken, the wall painting Stranger was at least a Malice-class Stranger, so he should've gained a silver rune.

Xiao Yang looked at the faint light shining through the exit and nodded. "The rain's let up as well, so why not? Assuming the sky stays clear, we should reach Jade Spring Village by noon!"

As if on cue, a ray of sunlight pierced through the dark clouds and filled the world with light.

1. A spirit screen, also called spirit wall or screen wall, (Chinese: 影壁; pinyin: Yǐngbì; lit. 'shadow wall' or Chinese: 照壁; pinyin: Zhàobì) is used to shield an entrance gate in traditional Chinese architecture

Chapter 112: Lake Bogey

Ye Qing and Xiao Yang did not encounter any more danger after leaving the abandoned temple. They were able to make it to Jade Spring Village before noon.

Although Ye Qing already had an inkling of what he might discover after listening to Ling Jianqiu's account, the reality was still much worse than he had anticipated. The farms were completely abandoned and overgrown with grass, the guards responsible for protecting the village from Strangers were nowhere to be seen, and garbage and feces were everywhere.

These were nothing compared to the horror he felt when he saw the villagers, however. Everyone, be it young or old, looked so thin and haggard he could've believed that they were going through a famine. However, all of them were wearing happy smiles on their faces and going about their business as if their minds were living in a completely separate entity.

What was a population of twelve hundred had dwindled to just three hundred, and they all said the same thing even after Ye Qing and Xiao Yang had interviewed each and everyone of them: they were perfectly healthy, no one was missing, and the village was just fine. It was exactly as Yu Hai had reported.

Speaking of which, no one knew where Yu Hai had gone to, or rather, they claimed that they had never even met the guy before, so of course they couldn't provide his whereabouts. Later, they searched the whole village and even the outskirts for clues to no avail.

That said, it wasn't like their efforts were completely useless. One, the reason the villagers of Jade Spring Village looked like they had one foot in the grave wasn't because they were starved, but because they were missing most of their vigor. Two, they couldn't find any Stranger near Jade Spring Village, not even the common Wind Children or Mud Dolls. As mentioned earlier, Jade Spring Village was completely defenseless right now. The one Patrolman who could have saved them was missing in action as well. A random Red-class or even Mundane-class Stranger could probably slaughter them to the last, and yet they were still safe and sound—relatively speaking, of course.

Ye Qing and Xiao Yang eventually arrived at two theories. One, an extremely powerful Stranger had appeared in Jade Spring Village and scared away all the other Strangers. Moreover, it was keeping the villagers alive to accomplish some sort of unknown objective. They had a couple of guesses—it could be raising the villagers like livestock, it could be a choosy eater etc—but no evidence to support any guess.

Two, an Anomaly had struck Jade Spring Village, influencing the Strangers and scaring away the other Strangers. But after a brief argument, both men agreed that the first theory was likelier. It was because they noticed various cut marks on the villagers' chest. It was most likely the reason behind the villagers' missing vigor. If this was an Anomaly, it could probably absorb their vigor without leaving a scratch on their body!

Of course, this was just a theory. In the end, they needed to investigate more to find out the truth behind the incident.

In his head, Ye Qing was praying that this wasn't an Anomaly. If it was, he was going to run so fast that Xiao Yang could only breathe his dust, guilty conscience be damned.

...

The sun set, and the moon rose. When darkness came, silence became the only theme in Jade Spring Village.

In fact, there was too much silence. Not a candle was lit, and not a sound could be heard throughout the whole village. If they didn't know better, they would've thought that Jade Spring Village was an abandoned village.

"Heavens above. It's like the whole place is dead!" Xiao Yang muttered under his breath. The two men had not slept inside Jade Spring Village as a matter of course. Instead, they were observing from a safe spot some distance away from the village.

Logically speaking, the best way to learn the truth about the village was to remain inside the village, but they still didn't know if it was a Stranger or an Anomaly that had turned it to this state. A Stranger would be the best. With their strength, they should be able to escape even if they were no match for it. But if it was an Anomaly, then their recklessness could easily be the death of them.

Had they died, they would not be able to find out the truth or report back to the Pacification Bureau. That was why they had chosen to observe Jade Spring Village from a distance. It definitely wasn't because they were scared for their life. Nuh uh!

"Yeah. If the village is barely alive during daytime, then it is as dead as a graveyard at night."

Ye Qing jumped down from the branch he was hanging on and lay down on the ground. While staring at the black clouds in the sky, he said, "Something should happen tonight!"

Xiao Yang also lay down beside him and chuckled. "I'm not sure if I want something to happen, to be honest. If it turns out to be beyond our ability to handle…"

"Quit jinxing us!" Ye Qing rolled his eyes at Xiao Yang. "I believe in good karma. Even if the worst were to come by, I'm sure that you would be able to turn it around!"

"Now that, is what I call a compliment!" Xiao Yang laughed.

The two passed the time by making idle chit-chat and keeping an eye on Jade Spring Village. Eventually…

"Here it comes!"

It was past midnight when Ye Qing abruptly opened his eyes. Xiao Yang also jolted awake and climbed to his feet as well. They turned around and stared at the lake next to Jade Spring Village. An unnatural mist was spreading across its surface.

The lake was called Jade Spring Lake because it tasted as smooth as jade and as sweet as spring. It was also how Jade Spring Village got its name.

The two men couldn't help but exchange embarrassed looks with each other. They were one Vessel Augmentor and one Astral Refiner, and they had circled Jade Spring Lake at least three times during the day. However, neither of them had found a thing at the time.

Meanwhile, the mist above Jade Spring Lake was growing thicker and thicker. Then, snow white fishes with three red whiskers hanging beside their gills jumped out of the water and floated in the air. It wasn't long before hundreds of fat, white fishes were hanging in the sky like snow.

Tang! Tang! Tang!

Suddenly, a humanoid Stranger with two arms and legs slowly rose to the surface. It carried a turtle's shell on his back and a pair of horns on its head. Its face was as black as coal, and it was carrying a gong and hitting it with a mallet. The fishes responded to the gong beats and surged forward until they formed a white bridge. After a water pillar lifted the humanoid Stranger onto the bridge of fishes, it strode straight toward Jade Spring Village.

"Do you recognize that Stranger?" Ye Qing asked via sound transmission.

Xiao Yang stared at the Stranger for a bit before shaking his head. "I don't know, but it's probably some sort of lake bogey."

"Lake bogey?" Just as the mountains were alive with spirits, it was the same with the waters as well. The humanoid was probably some sort of aquatic bogey that was similar to the Mountain God of Little August Hill. This one was clearly evil though!

Ye Qing watched on as the lake bogey walked until it was right above Jade Spring Village. Then, it smacked its gong so hard that he could see some sort of invisible energy rippling across the air. The villagers of Jade Spring Village started stepping out of their houses and walking toward the lake, each and every one of them carrying a blade in their hands. Their expressions were numb, and their eyes glassy. Ye Qing could've been convinced that they were dead.

When the villagers were gathered in front of the lake, the lake bogey walked back to Jade Spring Lake and hit its gong twice. But unlike the previous beats, this one was shrill and rapid. Even from this distance, Ye Qing and Xiao Yang felt as if something was trying to muddle their minds.

The villager standing closest to the lake immediately pulled open his shirt and revealed his bare chest. He then stabbed himself in the heart and sliced open a deep wound.

Blood poured profusely out of the wound and into the lake. The clear waters were immediately dyed in red. For a good few seconds, the villager simply stood there and let his heart's blood flow out of his body as if he couldn't feel the pain. When he had bled almost a full bowl of blood, one of the fishes lowered its red whiskers and pressed against the wound. The bleeding stopped immediately.

The villager walked away, and the next villager came forward. He did the exact same thing as the first villager and bled his heart's blood into the lake. This would continue on and on until the lake had turned completely red and sticky like blood. The blood stench was so thick that even Ye Qing and Xiao Yang could smell it from where they were.

"What the hell is this lake bogey planning?" Ye Qing whispered.

Xiao Yang shook his head. "I'm not sure, but it can't be anything good. Let's wait and see."

Tang! Tang!

About half a teatime later, the lake bogey hit its gong again. The center of the lake abruptly started spinning until it formed a whirlpool, and from the bottom rose a lotus that looked as white as jade.

The moment the lotus had risen to the water surface, the viscous blood in the lake abruptly surged into it as if pulled by a mysterious force and dyeing it blood red. It wasn't long before the lake became crystal clear once more.

The blood red lotus looked like something out of a nightmare as it floated innocently on the lake. In the sky, the lake bogey was staring at the blood red lotus like it was the love of its life.

Tang!

A few seconds later, the lake bogey jolted out of its reverie and hurriedly hit its gong. The dozen villagers standing quietly next to the lake abruptly cut open their chest, ripped out their hearts, and tossed it over to the lotus!

The mindless villagers had acted so quickly and abruptly that there was no chance Ye Qing or Xiao Yang could have stopped them. Naturally, the villagers fell to the ground and died after losing their hearts. The white fishes in the sky immediately wrapped their whiskers around the corpses and pulled them into their mouths. Every time they chewed, blood would spurt out of their mouths and spill into the clear waters below. It was unbelievably cruel.

Meanwhile, the blood red lotus was unfolding its thirteen petals like it was blooming. It pulled the hearts toward its stamen and ate the hearts one by one like a maw from hell. After it was done feeding, it grew even bigger and glowed brightly. It also emitted an unbelievably fragrant scent that spread all the way to Ye Qing and Xiao Yang's location.

"Holy shit! It smells incredible!" The two men felt incredibly invigorated after inhaling the scent.

"What is that thing?" Ye Qing whispered.

"I don't know, but it clearly deserves eradication!" Xiao Yang shook his head, but there was a greedy glint in his eyes that he took care not to reveal.

He mulled over the situation for a bit before saying, "We now know that this lake bogey is the true culprit behind the mass disappearance of Jade Spring Village. It's a Hatred-class Stranger, but it doesn't look so strong that it's beyond our abilities, so why don't you go save the villagers and leave it to me, brother?"

Ye Qing thought for a few seconds before nodding. "Okay!"

"I'll go first!" Xiao Yang declared and soared into the sky. He then burst into flames not unlike a golden sun.