Chapter Fifty-Three: You Again!
“What…what just happened?”
At the entrance to Gejia Village, Nie Xun stood bewildered, staring at Yuan Baiyi and Qi Xiu, whose eyes had abruptly shut tight and bodies had gone rigid.
The moment they arrived at the village gate, both Qi and Yuan fell into a bizarre stupor. No matter how Nie Xun called out to them, their eyes remained closed; apart from their steady breathing, they were like wooden statues, unmoving in place.
“Trouble. We’ve walked right into an ambush.”
Realizing that the Commander and Daoist Qi must have fallen prey to some demonic sorcery, Nie Xun quickly heightened his vigilance, gripping his gilded tiger-head spear and positioning himself defensively behind the two.
Rustle, rustle—
A moment later, footsteps whispered across the ground. The once tranquil village suddenly teemed with shadowy figures.
These people were shriveled and blackened, clearly drained of all flesh and blood, yet their faces bore a benevolent expression and their hands were pressed together in prayer.
Terror mingled with serenity.
The blackened corpses marched in unison toward Nie Xun and his companions.
His gaze sharpened; Nie Xun clenched his spear, an aura surging about him.
Two streams of divine radiance—one fiery red, one cool blue—coursed across his skin, forming crackling patterns.
This was the Water and Fire Qi from the “True Diagram of Water and Fire Arts.”
Chhh—
Just as Nie Xun raised his spear to strike down these uncanny corpses, the fabric at Qi Xiu’s shoulder suddenly tore open, as if ripped by force.
…
“If this is an illusion, there must be a way to break it.
The village can’t be exited, so the key to escape must lie within its bounds.”
Leaping onto a rooftop to evade the pursuing villagers, Qi Xiu glanced at the tear in his shoulder—a wound inflicted by one of the strange villagers moments ago.
By rights, with their sluggish speed, they shouldn’t have been able to catch him.
My stamina and reflexes seem to be rapidly waning.
Meanwhile, these monsters are growing ever more powerful; if I don’t find an exit soon, I’ll be torn apart in moments.
Turning to look at the throng of villagers behind him, Qi Xiu pressed his lips and dashed ahead.
Gejia Village was not large, but with around a hundred households, searching it was no small feat.
He kicked open the door to a house, scanning the interior.
Simple and unremarkable: wooden table and chairs, bed, wardrobe.
No sign of anything unusual.
This was the thirty-fourth house he'd searched.
Nearly every household was identical, right down to the pattern on the quilts.
Stepping outside, the sound of approaching footsteps grew ever closer.
At the corner of the wall, several eerie villagers poked their heads out, smiling unnervingly as they turned their gaze to Qi Xiu.
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They were relentless.
Sensing that these villagers were closing in with increasing speed, Qi Xiu wiped the sweat from his brow.
His clothing was soaked, his stamina plummeting.
If he failed to find the exit soon, he truly would meet his end.
Gritting his teeth, he summoned his lightness skill and vaulted onto another rooftop to continue his search.
Time slipped away.
House after house, each a perfect copy, nothing out of place—and Qi Xiu’s strength was at its limit.
His legs felt as if filled with lead, his lightness skill useless, barely able to run and keep distance from the strange villagers.
Leaning on his knees in a narrow alley, Qi Xiu gasped for breath, sweat dripping from his chin.
Since mastering martial arts, he’d never been pushed so far.
Even the last time, hunted by fox demons and beast hordes, he hadn’t been so desperate.
He had traversed the entire village.
Yet not a single clue.
His expression was grave, his eyes intense.
Could it be that this illusion has no exit at all?
Just as Qi Xiu pondered this, footsteps once again echoed around him.
Those uncanny villagers seemed able to sniff out his presence.
No matter where he hid, they found him with uncanny precision.
So quickly?
Straightening up, Qi Xiu felt a sharp pain in his chest, perhaps from prolonged exertion injuring his lungs.
Frowning, he instinctively traced a Medicine Talisman.
Its medicinal power surged, flowing through his body, alleviating the pain.
“Whew…”
Breathing out, Qi Xiu was about to move when he suddenly froze.
Wait!
The Medicine Talisman worked?
His expression shifted; Qi Xiu bit his tongue and traced another Medicine Talisman on his palm.
Medicinal clouds rose.
Its sweet, flawless power gently dispersed within him.
Something was very wrong.
His mind raced, recalling all the abilities he could not use.
Town Talisman, Martial Talisman…his martial arts worked but continued to fade.
The only ability unaffected was the Medicine Talisman.
So, the powers restricted were those he often used and learned in earlier stages.
His eyes flickered; a realization dawned.
Turning around, Qi Xiu saw the distant road crowded with villagers, their creepy smiles unchanged, pressing forward.
“If my guess is correct…”
He reached for the bamboo staff at his waist, narrowed his eyes, and swung it fiercely.
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Chhh—
A shriek echoed, and a crimson sword aura shot forth, slicing through the villagers before him.
Countless halved corpses toppled, their insides hollow, like paper shells.
The sword aura struck something hard, producing a clear, ringing sound.
“So it’s you again!”
Qi Xiu’s eyes flashed with anger as he raised his staff at the familiar figure opposite.
The Jade Bodhisattva!
The mysterious demonic artifact that had entangled him since the Qian family incident!
It had once blocked his escape from Baohe County.
This illusion was clearly its doing.
But its appearance had changed somewhat.
It still resembled a jade-carved Bodhisattva, but now at its feet sat a youthful boy, hands pressed together in prayer.
The boy seemed about twelve or thirteen, fair and delicate, charming and innocent.
Yet his slender eyes held an eerie allure, drawing one in despite oneself.
No wonder only the Medicine Talisman could be used.
Because this thing had no knowledge of my newer innate cloud runes.
This illusion limited abilities based on what it knew.
Luckily, I brought this bamboo staff—being another demonic artifact, the Jade Bodhisattva couldn’t restrict it.
Gripping the staff, Qi Xiu’s gaze grew resolute, preparing to strike again.
Suddenly, everything around him collapsed like shattered blocks.
The Jade Bodhisattva was the illusion’s exit!
Once Qi Xiu found it, the illusion could no longer sustain itself and began to unravel.
Fixing a cold gaze on the Jade Bodhisattva, Qi Xiu schemed inwardly, determined to seize this demonic artifact.
Then he’d reward it with a hundred—
No! A thousand Town Talismans, let it taste them well.
Just before the illusion shattered, the Jade Bodhisattva’s expression turned sinister, glaring viciously at Qi Xiu.
As if to warn him—the feud between man and demon was far from over.
…
Pop—
A sound like a bursting soap bubble.
Slowly opening his eyes, Qi Xiu sighed with relief at finally escaping the illusion, but before he could catch his breath, a shriveled blackened hand suddenly reached toward his face.
…
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