Chapter 372: Xuanwu Village!
Chapter 372: Xuanwu Village!
Ye Fan stared fixedly at Ling Feng, his facial muscles twisting in anger.
They had expected to obtain the precious Blue Moon Vermilion Fruit, but instead of gaining something, they had lost a member of their own team. Now, they were being forced to apologize face-to-face!
Ye Fan clenched his fists tightly while gritting his teeth. "Kid, what exactly do you want?"
"I'm not unreasonable either. It's indeed difficult for you to apologize. Just hand over all the crystal coins and elemental stones you have on you."
Ling Feng raised an eyebrow. He wasn't lacking in money, but these guys wanted to leave so easily after causing trouble—it wasn't going to be that cheap!
"What?!"
Ye Fan's teeth ground together loudly. This was outright extortion!
But the situation dictated their actions. Currently, the students from Tianwei Academy held the upper hand. If they pushed their luck, Ye Fan might not even escape with his life.
In the end, Ye Fan reluctantly handed over his Tianmeng Blue Gold VIP Card, containing wealth worth millions of high-grade elemental stones.
Seeing Ye Fan obediently handing over his wealth, the other students from Zhenlong Academy dared not resist anymore. They also took out their cards and elemental stones, handing them over to Ling Feng.
"Not bad." Ling Feng chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "Now, get lost."
Though Ye Fan was unwilling, he could only leave dejectedly.
As the students from Zhenlong Academy escorted the incapacitated Huang Shaoan away, Gu Tengfeng burst into laughter. He patted Ling Feng heavily on the shoulder with his strong hand.
"You're really something with so many surprises!"
Ling Feng just smiled faintly without saying more.
"Thank you, Mr. Ling, for your help just now."
Mo Yao approached and bowed gracefully to Ling Feng, her face filled with admiration and even a hint of bashfulness.
For this tomboyish character, it was the first time she felt admiration for a member of the opposite sex.
Ling Feng pursed his lips slightly and said lightly, "No need to thank me. What about your companions? How come you’re the only one left?"
Mo Yao blushed slightly and shook her head with a wry smile. "I'm sorry for the trouble."
"No, no. The fact that you stayed and fought with us is enough to prove that you're deserving of our trust." Lin Xian'er smiled faintly.
When they were fighting with the students from Zhenlong Academy just now, she had also been lightly injured. Fortunately, Ling Feng ended the battle in time; otherwise, she might not have been able to hold on.
"Miss Mo Yao, judging from your martial skills, you don't seem like an ordinary wandering cultivator," Gu Tengfeng couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
Ling Feng had already noticed Mo Yao's unusualness, and someone as experienced as Gu Tengfeng naturally could as well.
"I'm indeed not a wandering cultivator, but just an ordinary member of a family. It's nothing worth mentioning." Mo Yao smiled faintly and didn't mention her family.
Ling Feng and Gu Tengfeng exchanged a glance and didn't inquire further.
After resting for a while, they set off again.
By dusk, the group finally emerged from the Misty Hidden Forest and arrived at the boundary of Beiliang County.
"Everyone, I still need to report my mission to Beiliang County. After this mission is over, I should also visit my family. It's been three years since I last went back."
Mo Yao gave Ling Feng and the others a fist-and-palm salute, and then glanced at Ling Feng before activating her movement art and speeding towards the main city of Beiliang County.
As for Ling Feng's group, they headed straight for Jiang Xiaofan's hometown, Panshi Town, Xuanwu Village.
...
Due to Jiang Xiaofan's anxiety, everyone exerted their wings of true qi and hurried along the road. By the time they arrived at Xuanwu Village, night had fallen.
It was late at night and the stars seemed endless. The curtain of darkness resembled a devil with an immensely grim face. The entire village was silent, as if plunged into deathly stillness.
Jiang Xiaofan looked up at the path leading into the village. The fences meant to defend against demonic beast invasions had been completely smashed apart. It was as if a fierce beast had rammed against it.
"Father, mother, little sister! Please, don't let anything happen to you!"
Jiang Xiaofan's heart was in turmoil as he saw the destroyed fences and felt as if he had fallen into an icy abyss. Gritting his teeth, he dashed into the village.
"Uhh..."
Ling Feng and the others exchanged glances, unable to suppress a gasp.
Had they arrived too late?
Inside Xuanwu Village, scars were everywhere. Pools of congealed black blood were visible, and wherever Jiang Xiaofan looked, he could see over a dozen bodies lying prone on the ground.
From their attire, they were ordinary villagers who had no chance to resist under the hands of the demonic cultivator.
"My goodness, who could be so cruel!?"
Lin Xian'er covered her face with both hands, unable to bear witnessing this scene akin to hell on earth.
"Utterly depraved!" Ling Feng clenched his fists. Seeing Xuanwu Village in such a state, he feared for Jiang Xiaofan's family...
"No! No! This can't be real! This can't be real!"
Jiang Xiaofan shouted in agitation, immediately sprinting towards his own home.
Ling Feng's group could only follow behind. At this moment, they had no words of comfort for Jiang Xiaofan.
As they ran, Jiang Xiaofan crossed roads lined with houses charred by fire. Corpses of ordinary villagers lay everywhere, all in horrifying states as if their essence had been drained and left as withered husks.
What Jiang Xiaofan feared most now was reaching his family's mansion and finding the bodies of his parents and relatives lying in the courtyard.
If that were the case, even if he crushed the demon responsible into dust, it wouldn't assuage his regret.
Finally, Jiang Xiaofan saw his family's mansion ahead. It was pitch black inside, without a hint of light.
Jiang Xiaofan pushed open the door forcefully, scanning the rooms. After searching each one and finding no bodies, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"It seems your family must have escaped in time."
Ling Feng said, stepping forward and gripping Jiang Xiaofan's shoulder. His voice was grave as he asked, "Xiaofan, does your house have any secret escape routes?"
Jiang Xiaofan's eyes lit up, and he nodded. "Yes, we do have a passage that leads directly to the ancestral tomb in the rear mountains! Father and the others must have escaped through that secret passage!"
With that, Jiang Xiaofan led Ling Feng and the others to the backyard, where he pried open a brick at the base of the back wall to reveal an underground passage.
"Here it is!"
Jiang Xiaofan pushed open the hidden door of the tunnel and jumped in without hesitation. He called back to Ling Feng and the others, "Big Brother, follow me!"