Chapter Seventy-Three: Speculations About the Sinister Miasma

This legend has been passed down among the people; originally, it was a tale parents used to frighten their children who played late and returned home after dark. Yet as it spread far and wide, it gradually evolved into a terrifying myth.

It is said that at the darkest hour of midnight, those who have not returned home will encounter dreadful things on their way. There is a proverb about walking at midnight: "One don't ask, three don't respond."

"One don't ask" means you must never inquire of those who pass by slowly. People hurrying along the night road are always anxious; if someone moves slowly, it is very likely not a human being. Should you ask them for the time, they may lead you down a path not meant for the living.

The "three don't respond" are: don't answer if someone calls you, don't answer if someone asks you for directions, and don't answer if someone taps your shoulder.

When someone calls your name, do not respond. Voices at midnight are beckoning for souls; to answer is to lose much of your spirit—three souls, seven spirits, most would be gone. Perhaps, as you walk at night or lie in bed, you have heard a faint voice calling your name; this is spirits calling people.

If someone asks for directions, do not answer; for to do so is to become their guide, and this being will follow you all the way home. This is known as spirits asking for directions.

If someone taps your shoulder, do not respond, for you will instinctively turn your head, and what you see will be horrifying beyond measure. This is known as spirits tapping the shoulder.

What Fang Mu encountered at this moment was exceedingly similar to spirits tapping the shoulder.

An icy, bone-chilling sensation swept over him. Fang Mu touched the handle of his butcher's knife, a "benevolent" smile appearing on his face.

He activated his Double Golden Body Technique, golden light rising from his body, and in an instant, the hand on his shoulder was flung away.

Fang Mu turned and saw what was behind him.

Dressed in white, its deathly pale face bore only a mouth.

That mouth, oddly enough, was rosy and attractive, as if it could be described as a tiny cherry mouth.

Of course, a small mouth is not always beautiful, but no one would entertain any special thoughts upon seeing the one before him.

The small mouth was slightly open, revealing jagged, saw-like teeth that gleamed with chilling cold.

As Fang Mu turned, the apparition spoke in a strange voice—

"My husband…"

"Enough. Take off your clothes."

"…"

The butcher's knife traced a fierce arc, creating a dense web of blades in the air, fiery red energy filling the world and sweeping toward the apparition.

The fiery red energy passed, but Fang Mu struck nothing.

The apparition's steps shifted, narrowly evading the dense web of blades, and reached out toward Fang Mu.

"Ah—"

A piercing scream erupted from its mouth as it lunged, wild and chaotic eyes fixed on Fang Mu.

In the moment its hand touched the Double Golden Body, not even the outer layer was breached; instead, a wisp of smoke appeared, burning the apparition that tried to harm Fang Mu.

Fang Mu spun his butcher's knife, unleashing the Butcher Dissects Ox technique once more, the dense web of blades enveloping his foe again.

The apparition's body flickered, narrowly dodging the knife once more.

This time, it did not attack Fang Mu, but glanced at him with chilling malice before retreating at speed.

Fang Mu stepped forward, swinging his knife again, but struck only air, causing him to frown.

He felt a strange familiarity in the apparition's evasive movements, but could not pin down the source.

The apparition, after evading Fang Mu, tried to leave again.

Fang Mu pressed closer, his blade web continuing to envelop the apparition, but it twisted in an odd way and slipped away once more.

Blade—dodge—blade—dodge—

The butcher's knife never relented, yet every time, the apparition barely managed to dodge the blade. Over time, Fang Mu noticed a pattern.

"Isn't this evasion technique the Earth Movement Art?" Fang Mu mused.

The steps used to dodge the knife were familiar, extremely similar to the Earth Movement Art.

With doubt in his mind, Fang Mu swung his knife once more—

The apparition shifted its steps, narrowly avoiding the blade.

In the next instant, Fang Mu moved in sync, employing the Earth Movement Art, and his butcher's knife cut firmly across the apparition's body.

Under the burning fiery red energy, the apparition let out a mournful cry.

Fang Mu held his butcher's knife, the dense web of blades shadowing his every move.

The apparition tried to dodge, but each time it moved, Fang Mu mirrored the step, as if the web of blades anticipated its next action.

The reasoning was simple: you know the art, I know the art; the moves cancel each other out, leaving neither with an advantage. Yet the problem is, in other aspects, I am stronger.

It is like stabbing at a moving hole with a gun—if you know the path ahead of time and act a step earlier, you can strike with certainty.

Under the dense web of blades, the apparition had nowhere left to escape, growing ever more translucent as the fiery red energy burned it.

At that moment, an invisible ripple emanated in Fang Mu's mind. He reached out and touched—

[You have collected a food spirit and gained a trace of true energy.]

[You have collected a food spirit and gained a trace of sinister energy.]

Apart from true energy and sinister energy, there was nothing else.

A Bai spat out black smoke, devouring the apparition completely.

True energy flowed, merging into the Dragon Gate within Fang Mu. The once ethereal Dragon Gate instantly changed.

A tiny branch appeared in the upper left of the Dragon Gate, barely discernible.

"Dragon claw?"

The dragon horns were already fully formed. Fang Mu suspected this was a dragon claw, though it was far too simple, lacking the refinement of the horns.

"Dragon horns, dragon claws…" Fang Mu thought to himself, "Am I missing three more?"

Once the horns and claws were fully formed, perhaps it would be time for his leap.

This time, besides true energy, he had gained sinister energy, sparking an idea in Fang Mu.

He had also collected sinister energy before, from the apparition that used to be Yu Youde. Back then, Fang Mu had guessed it was because Yu Youde's power was formidable, but now he saw that was not the case.

This apparition was weak, yet it produced sinister energy. Fang Mu realized the cause of sinister energy might not be related to the apparition's strength.

After sheathing his butcher's knife, Fang Mu noticed a missing link.

During his battle with the apparition, its movement matched the Earth Movement Art exactly, almost identically.

After collecting from the apparition, he gained sinister energy. This suggested the source of sinister energy might be connected to similar skills.

If an apparition possesses a skill of the same type, then one can collect sinister energy to enhance that skill.

The more Fang Mu considered it, the more plausible it seemed. The guess needed further verification, but not now.

He had been attacked by an apparition on his way home, and it was the same one that had harmed the Zhao family. Perhaps someone was trying to stop him.

Fang Mu did not linger, and hurried toward Jinglong County at the fastest speed.

He had a strong premonition that something significant was about to happen there, possibly related to Sun Wei, the son of the Sun family.