Chapter 27: Encirclement

When Shen Chang'an and his companions arrived at the mountain estate, it was exactly noon. They would have to wait through an entire afternoon before nightfall. The three of them sat idly in their room, repeatedly reviewing their plan to avoid any mishaps.

At last, as dusk crept across the sky, someone brought them food. This time, it was not those revolting things, but still, the dishes had been drained of vitality; none of them touched it. But thinking someone might come to collect the plates, they simply dumped the food out.

Afterward, nothing else happened. The group waited quietly until night descended.

"Let's go," Shen Chang'an ordered, leading the two out. By midnight, the area was deserted; not a soul could be seen. All three possessed formidable skills, and as they moved through the darkness, not so much as a whisper betrayed their passage.

They spent a good part of the night searching the grounds, but found nothing out of the ordinary. No matter how long they looked, it was just like any regular mountain estate.

"This is strange. We can't find anything. Did we search the wrong place?" Zheng Xin asked, puzzled.

Shen Chang'an shook his head. When he stepped off the carriage earlier, the evil aura had nearly made his nose bleed. If this place were normal, it would be extraordinary indeed.

"Maybe... the passage isn't meant for people?" Wang Yue suddenly ventured.

Shen Chang'an paused in surprise, then said, "Yes, these creatures aren't bound by human paths..."

He'd been trapped in a mental rut, searching for a physical passage—but upon reflection, snakes, insects, rats, and ants need no corridors. As long as the soil is loose enough, they can burrow in and out at will.

He shared his analysis with the others, asking if they had noticed any suitable spots.

"If that's the case, there were several places earlier that fit the description..." Wang Yue replied quickly, after hearing Shen Chang'an's reasoning.

Zheng Xin shook her head; she hadn't paid attention to such spots.

Wang Yue, though he had joined the Demon Purification Bureau through connections, had spent long enough there to pick up some useful habits. He quickly listed the places he'd noted for Shen Chang'an.

Shen Chang'an silently calculated, then sighed. "This is trouble. All those places allow for underground movement without affecting the buildings above..."

"No, Master Shen, some spots would actually affect them..." Wang Yue argued.

Shen Chang'an waved his hand, speaking quietly. "These houses are nothing but caves and wooden huts, all disguised by illusions. The places you think would be affected are not, in truth. And with so many monsters, there must be more than one route... Ah, this is troublesome..."

Even Shen Chang'an felt helpless now. Among the Seventy-two Earth Fiend Arts, there was an earth-walking power, but Shen Chang'an had never learned it. Without access to the underground, he could not confront the monsters directly; to think of slaying evil was mere fantasy.

"Forget it. Let's leave, return to Fang City, and try to seek reinforcements—see if there's any other way."

At this point, Shen Chang'an could only hope to borrow the strength of the Demon Purification Bureau.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

Suddenly, a voice called out, startling the trio. They turned to see a figure in white robes, beautiful as a maiden in her prime.

Both Zheng Xin and Wang Yue blanched. Now that they'd been discovered, escape seemed doubtful.

Yet Shen Chang'an felt a sudden impulse. A faint violet glow flashed in his eyes, reflected in the woman's own.

In a heartbeat, she grew dazed, standing frozen in place.

"What's going on?" Zheng Xin and Wang Yue were taken aback. Their adversary had suddenly stopped moving—what did it mean?

"Where can we find your lair?" Shen Chang'an wasted no time, questioning her directly. He had used the Heavenly Fox's Illusory Eye, temporarily controlling her, though he wasn't sure how long it would last.

"Down... below..." she managed to utter two words before her face contorted grotesquely. Her features twisted, flesh ruptured, revealing a massive snake's head dangling like a pulley.

A pulley usually bore a human head; this was a half-serpent, its enormous head lunging at Shen Chang'an without warning.

Shen Chang'an's nerves jolted. Without thinking, he swung his alloy staff!

Bang!

The blow struck the snake's head; its skull twisted, bones cracked and splintered from the force.

Yet Shen Chang'an's face showed no joy. He hadn't held back at all with that strike.

He had always believed that nothing could survive his full-strength attack, but to his shock, the snake's head was merely battered, not slain.

"Master Shen, this creature is protected by demonic energy. Strength alone won't suffice," Wang Yue quickly said, following up with a crossbow bolt.

Shen Chang'an sighed. He was well aware of demonic energy shielding, but this serpent was not just protected—it was inherently tough. Wang Yue didn't realize how powerful Shen Chang'an's brute force was, assuming the impact was mitigated by the energy. In reality, that layer could only absorb so much; the real defense lay in the creature's bones, so dense that Shen Chang'an couldn't shatter them.

Wang Yue's bolt pierced the flesh, leading him to believe the creature was vulnerable, but in truth, its scales were weak while its bones were nearly indestructible.

Having failed to finish it with one blow, Shen Chang'an drew a demon-slaying charm and pressed it onto his staff. Advancing swiftly, he jabbed the alloy rod straight into the serpent's eyes, puncturing through and spilling its brains.

The snake demon thrashed wildly before dying in agony.

"Go! We can't stay here any longer!"

Having dispatched the snake demon, Shen Chang'an wasted no time, urging his companions to flee.

The commotion had drawn attention; people emerged, wondering what Shen Chang'an and his group were doing.

Seeing these townsfolk, Wang Yue suddenly stopped, gritting his teeth. "Master Shen, I can't leave. I came to save them—I can't abandon them here."

Zheng Xin cried, "Wang, are you courting death? These people have no idea what’s happening, nor do they know this place is a monster's lair. How long would it take to convince them? Before you finish, those monsters will appear!"

"I know!" Wang Yue took a deep breath, determined. "But even saving one is worth it. I can't just leave them."

Zheng Xin ignored him and turned to Shen Chang'an. "Don't worry about him. Let's go."

Shen Chang'an gave a bitter smile. "Where would we go? There’s no way out..."

Zheng Xin was taken aback, but then the ground began to tremble faintly, then violently. Moments later, dozens of monsters burrowed up, surrounding them.

"This time, I was too careless..."

Shen Chang'an sighed helplessly. In truth, from the moment they ventured out at night, they must have been discovered.

The estate was saturated with demonic energy; Shen Chang'an dared not use the Jade Dragon Talisman, which would blind him. Yet, he’d risked exploring the enemy's lair, not realizing he’d been watched from the moment he left his room.

Snakes, insects, rats, and ants: the snakes were pythons, huge and hard to spot; the rats were man-sized, hiding among the people; the insects were venomous, brightly colored and easy to recognize. And ants—were simply ants!

Shen Chang'an could never have guessed they’d been watched by ants from the very beginning. Every move they made, thinking themselves clever, had been under constant surveillance.

The monsters only revealed themselves now, likely to confirm whether any reinforcements would arrive. Wang Yue’s identity had been noted from the start, and now he had two new companions; naturally, the creatures were cautious.

But now, seeing no others arrive, and angered by Shen Chang'an’s use of the Illusory Eye, the monsters at last emerged en masse.

Only now did Shen Chang'an realize he had been under their watch all along.

Among the monsters that surfaced, snakes, insects, and rats were all present—but no ants. Shen Chang'an understood: the ants had remained hidden all along, right by their side.

This was another mental trap. Having seen giant rat demons, Shen Chang'an assumed all monsters were similarly large.

But monsters are monsters precisely because of their strange nature. Even among the same species, differences can be vast—let alone between two entirely different kinds.

The horde closed in steadily. If they managed to encircle the trio, there would be no hope for escape.

Shen Chang'an made a split-second decision, his staff trembling in his hand. He took the lead, charging directly into the mass of monsters.