Chapter 36: Crisis, Eerie Fog, Under Attack!

Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Crisis, Eerie Fog, Under Attack!

The Wu family in Fenglin Town.

As a native family of Fenglin Town, the Wu family was originally just an ordinary faction that barely qualified as Landlord Strongmen through generations of accumulation. However, all this changed with an opportunity the Wu Family Ancestor encountered in his youth. It was said that in his youth, the Wu Family Ancestor saved a mysterious Martial Artist at the foot of Tilan Mountain. After recovering from his injuries, the Martial Artist took the Wu Family Ancestor as a Registered Disciple, imparting his Martial Dao and methods of Alchemy. Although the Wu Family Ancestor had mediocre aptitude and only learned one or two-tenths of what the mysterious Martial Artist taught, it was more than enough for a small place like Fenglin Town.

By relying on refining Qi Blood Pills, the Wu family rose rapidly, becoming the premier large family in Fenglin Town.

Within a massive courtyard far from Fenglin Town, the white-haired and bearded Wu Family Ancestor sat quietly in the main hall, listening to a Black-clothed Martial Artist’s report.

"So to speak, Old Fang’s grandson has already broken through to a Martial Disciple?"

The Black-clothed Martial Artist cupped his hands. "I am certain. Three days ago, he was still only in the Refining Viscera Realm, but yesterday he already broke through and became a Martial Disciple."

The Wu Family Ancestor gently stroked the broken Withered Wood Staff in his hand—the very item that had changed his destiny. After pondering for a long time, he said, "My master once said that for a Martial Artist to break through to a Martial Disciple, it takes at least one day to shatter the barrier of their acupoints, and then about two more days to recover their overdrawn vitality...

"Lu Zhiyuan, oh, Lu Zhiyuan... I truly can see through you less and less.

"Go, have people prepare. Tonight, we will scout out the Fang family boy’s home."

An ordinary person who had remained silent for twenty years suddenly breaking through to the realm of a Martial Disciple in such a short time—in the Wu Family Ancestor’s eyes, there had to be something fishy going on. Having been trapped in the Third Realm of the Martial Master stage for nearly thirty years, with his vitality gradually declining and drying up as he grew older, the Wu Family Ancestor dreamed of taking another step forward. The Martial Master stage had ten realms. With every realm broken through, one could use the lifeforce from their acupoints to temporarily return to their peak condition. If he could obtain a great opportunity during this time to reconnect his soon-to-be-broken path of the Martial Dao, breaking past the Martial Master stage to reach a higher level in the future wouldn’t be impossible.

"Yes!"

The Black-clothed Martial Artist received the order and retreated.

Deep within Tilan Mountain.

Yun Wan beheaded another bandit leader, a trace of doubt unconsciously showing in her eyes. During this period, she had personally led the troops, guiding Three Thousand Government Soldiers to sweep the outskirts of Tilan Mountain. They had wiped out over forty bandit lairs, big and small. Now, the bandits within a three-hundred-mile radius of Qinghe County had been entirely cleansed, yet she still hadn’t found what she wanted.

Could it be that the person guarding the Yizhuang never actually obtained the item her uncle brought back? As a Martial Artist of the Ninth Realm of the Martial Master stage and the princess of the Yun family, Yun Wan was no busty, brainless woman. Since the matter had yielded no results so far, she immediately realized she was looking in the wrong direction.

If the Yizhuang guard hadn’t taken the item her uncle brought back, someone else must have hidden it beforehand. As for the possibility of the item being swallowed by that great fire, Yun Wan didn’t believe it at all. Even the Yun family’s Glowing Gold Thread Embroidery was impervious to water and fire. Could an object brought out from the ruins, which had withstood the erosion of time, be destroyed by an ordinary mortal fire?

"Let’s go. We return to Fenglin Town!"

After mulling it over, Yun Wan decided to start from scratch and continue her investigation using Fenglin Town as the starting point. The Three Thousand Government Soldiers had already lost over half their numbers; there was no need to keep wasting time in Tilan Mountain.

"Miss Yun, regarding the matter of the Witches..." Seeing Yun Wan issue the retreat order, Lv Yuan cautiously cupped his hands.

They were already aware that Wang Erhu and the others, who were escorting jewelry back to Huangzhou, had been intercepted and killed by Witches. Their sweeping operation in the mountains during this time had been partly to find the bandits who might have obtained the Divination God Treasure, and partly to "exterminate the Witches."

At the mention of the Witches, Yun Wan’s beautiful brows furrowed slightly. Those cowards who hid in the shadows were truly hard to deal with. Their methods were incredibly bizarre, especially their expertise in controlling venomous insects and wild beasts. Encircling and wiping them out was by no means an easy task.

"Commander Lv, stay in the mountains with the men. You no longer need to trouble the bandits; focus all your efforts on finding those Witches.

"Pick a hundred men to return to Fenglin Town with me."

The Witches had to be exterminated, or else they would affect the stability of Huangzhou Prefecture. Moreover, the item her uncle brought out had to be found. Yun Wan could only choose to split her forces into two.

"Yes!"

Lv Yuan had no objections to Yun Wan’s arrangement. He immediately picked a hundred sharp Government Soldiers to follow Yun Wan back to Fenglin Town, while he took the remaining Government Soldiers to search for traces of the Witches in the vast mountains.

Late at night.

Yun Wan led the hundred Government Soldiers, hurrying along the entire way, until they finally walked out of Tilan Mountain. After a brief rest, they were just preparing to enter the town to sleep when they suddenly noticed something was wrong.

In Tilan Mountain behind them, waves of eerie white smoke had begun billowing up at some unknown point. This smoke drifted slowly toward their group. After enveloping everyone, it rapidly drifted toward Fenglin Town.

BUZZ!

BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ!

From within the pitch-black, impenetrable fog, a series of low buzzing sounds rang out, like countless mosquitoes fluttering their wings! Yun Wan stood tall in the dense fog, her brows tightly furrowed, her hand already tightly gripping the hilt of her sword!

"It’s Witch Insects!"

"So many Witch Insects!"

Someone among the Government Soldiers surrounding Yun Wan let out an exclamation, immediately followed by waves of miserable screams!

SHING!

Seeing this, Yun Wan abruptly drew her longsword from its sheath and slashed a resplendent Sword Aura into the dense fog ahead! At the Ninth Realm of the Martial Master stage, it was effortless to unleash Sword Qi outside the body. The dozens of feet long Sword Qi swiftly cleaved open the dense fog with devastating ease, flying straight toward a massive boulder not far away!

BOOM!

The huge boulder was directly shattered by the Sword Qi, and a muffled scream transmitted through the thick fog!

"Playing the devil!"

Succeeding in one strike, Yun Wan immediately leaped up, her body like a startled swan as she arrived behind the boulder. Looking at the hemp-garmented figure who was severely injured and unable to rise, as well as the strange bronze vessel beside him belching thick smoke, she flicked her longsword, directly knocking over the bronze vessel. Then, pointing her sword at the hemp-garmented figure, she said coldly,

"Where are your accomplices?"

The hemp-garmented figure clutched a wound on his chest that was continuously oozing fresh blood. The eyes hidden beneath the bronze mask were filled with an unflinching resolve in the face of death. Seeing this look, Yun Wan knew it was impossible to get any useful information out of him.

SWISH!

A cold glint flashed, directly beheading the person before her!

"Miss Yun, so much fog!"

Just as Yun Wan had slain this Witch, she heard a Government Soldier exclaim behind her. She immediately turned to look at Fenglin Town in the distance, only to discover that the entire town was already wrapped in dense fog. She could faintly hear the exclamations and screams of the common people in the town.

"Follow me!"

The situation was critical. She immediately led all the Government Soldiers and charged toward Fenglin Town. Fortunately, these flying insects hidden in the thick fog were not the terrifying entities that had attacked Wang Erhu and his group. Those bitten by these flying bugs only suffered severe redness and swelling, posing no immediate threat to their lives.

Fenglin Town.

In a small courtyard, a brutal slaughter was taking place. Wielding an eerie wooden staff, Fang Xu was currently exchanging blows with three masked, Black-clothed Martial Artists! The cultivation of these three was around the Sixth Realm of the Martial Disciple stage. In Fenglin Town, excluding the two Martial Masters—Lu Zhiyuan and the Wu Family Ancestor—their strength was considered top-tier.

Fang Xu didn’t know what these three were after. After stealthily sneaking into his home, they actually attempted to forcefully subdue him and take him away. Fortunately, he had noticed them beforehand, leading to the current battle between the two sides. The three weren’t overwhelmingly strong; teaming up, they were about on par with Lu Qingluo.

Relying on the newly learned Nine Ape Staff, Fang Xu thrust left and blocked right, managing to hold his ground for the time being. However, right at this moment, one of the masked Martial Artists seized an opportunity and directly slashed a blade toward the hand Fang Xu used to grip the staff! Just as he prepared to pull back and defend, another masked Martial Artist took the chance to grab the wooden staff! Left with no choice, Fang Xu could only retract his hand to avoid danger, barely dodging the strike.

As a result, the staff in his hands was completely snatched away. Seeing this, the three exchanged a glance, the corners of their eyes curving slightly, clearly revealing smiles.

Yet Fang Xu didn’t panic in the slightest. These three thieves probably didn’t know that his greatest expertise was not the Staff Technique.