A Bad Feeling

Pan Shi cleared the path ahead, with Yang An walking in the middle holding a light wheel, and Pan Yu close beside him.

The three maintained this formation, bypassing the main road through the village and choosing what looked like a passable wild path, entering along the cliff face.

The night was dark, but fortunately, they had the Buddha Light from Yang An's hand as a light source, allowing both him and Pan Yu to follow Pan Shi's steps closely.

However, within the deep darkness surrounding them, there was an unnerving silence. Only their footsteps, no matter how light, seemed to amplify infinitely in their ears.

The entire village was eerily quiet, to the point where one could hear a pin drop.

All three were somewhat tense, yet feigned calmness. No one knew if anyone else was truly at ease; each assumed the person next to them was perfectly calm, using that as their own source of courage.

After walking for about fifteen minutes at a steady pace, they quickly moved from the village entrance to near the village exit.

Seeing that they would soon leave the village and, with a few hundred more steps, reach the main road leading to the Xi Yue River, Pan Shi couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.

It seemed their decision to head to the Xi Yue River a bit earlier was the right one. They had arrived just before other fellow cultivators, perfectly avoiding any potential encounters.

However, they hadn't completely exited the village yet, so it wasn't time to celebrate. Pan Shi could only silently continue to lead the way.

After walking for a while longer, nothing out of the ordinary happened.

But just then, Pan Yu, walking at the very end, suddenly spoke softly.

"Senior Brother..."

Her voice was tiny, like a mosquito's buzz, but in this environment, it was incredibly clear.

Pan Shi and Yang An both stopped and turned to look at her in confusion.

"What is it?"

"I... I have a bad feeling..."

Pan Yu stammered, instinctively moving closer to Yang An, shortening the distance between them.

"Did you discover something?"

Pan Shi asked immediately, and Yang An's heart tensed.

"No, I didn't discover anything, it's just... a bad feeling."

"..."

Hearing Pan Yu's words, Pan Shi and Yang An were both speechless.

Both had been tense, and Yang An had even subconsciously reached for his waist, where a small knife was hidden, ready to draw blood if needed.

Who knew Pan Yu would suddenly say something like that.

"Just keep moving, don't get jumpy."

Pan Shi couldn't help but chide her softly before preparing to move forward.

But seeing that neither of them truly believed her, Pan Yu quickly added:

"I've seen movies, and there's a line that goes: 'When you think you're about to be safe, that's precisely when you're in the most danger!' I feel like that's us right now..."

"..."

Honestly, if it weren't for the difference in gender, Yang An would have loved to cover her mouth.

She was practically bringing up the most sensitive topic. In this situation, saying something like that was akin to tempting fate, and it even stirred a sudden sense of foreboding in Yang An's own heart.

This feeling of unease was contagious!

Of course, Pan Shi couldn't understand what movies or lines Pan Yu was talking about, but it didn't stop him from understanding the latter half of her statement. He immediately rolled his eyes.

"Shut..."

Pan Shi was about to tell Pan Yu to shut up, but as the word left his lips, it abruptly stopped.

In the darkness, at some unknown time, a figure had appeared beside the three of them.

At the same moment, Yang An, standing beside Pan Shi, clearly saw Pan Shi's entire body tremble violently.

The air seemed to freeze, and silence descended.

"Heh heh!"

"You spoke the truth, little girl. You truly don't think much of this old Daoist if you think you can sneak past me."

Almost instantly, as this unfamiliar voice rang out, Yang An and the other two instinctively retreated at full speed without a second thought.

Using the Buddha Light from Yang An's hand, they could finally see the stranger who had suddenly appeared.

He was wearing a dirty and tattered Daoist robe, his hair had grown to his waist, his face was covered in grime, his back was hunched, and he leaned on a straight tree branch.

Although his face was unclear, it was certain that this person was no good!

Pan Yu's words had come true, and so quickly it caught them off guard.

She was truly a jinx!

The stranger's appearance was sudden, but Pan Shi remained composed and offered a respectful salute.

"May I ask which Daoist friend you are? I am a disciple of True Man Rou Shu of Three Pine Mountain. We are passing through this place and mean no offense."

As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling person. By first revealing his identity and mountain sect, if there were no prior grudges or history between them, people would generally show some respect. It all depended on whether the other party would accept this gesture.

"Heh heh."

But upon hearing Pan Shi announce his name, the hunchbacked Daoist let out a strange laugh.

"This old Daoist doesn't care about your Four Pine Mountain or Five Pine Mountain. If you had passed openly, I might have pretended not to see you. But sneaking around like this clearly shows you don't respect me. Today, this old Daoist will have a good talk with you!"

It was obvious that the hunchbacked Daoist was not buying any of it.

Pan Shi's expression immediately turned grim. The other party was clearly intending to make a move against them.

"We are strangers to you, fellow Daoist. Why must you make things difficult for us? Why not just pretend you haven't seen us? It's best to leave some room for maneuver, so we can meet again in the future. How about it?"

"What are you thinking, kid? Since this old Daoist is standing in front of you, do you think I'll let you leave so easily without getting anything?"

"What do you want?"

Pan Shi stared at him intently, his tone beginning to lose its politeness.

He now understood that the other party had clearly set their sights on them. It was like a dog that had bitten onto a bone; it wouldn't let go until it had swallowed it.

The Daoist chuckled again, pointing the stick in his hand towards Pan Yu, who was beside Yang An. His gaze was fixed on Pan Yu's waist.

"Little girl, if this old Daoist sees correctly, isn't that a Small Sumeru Bag?"

Feeling the Daoist's disgusting gaze fixed on her, Pan Yu immediately reached out to cover the Small Sumeru Bag hanging at her waist. She understood almost instantly what the Daoist wanted.

This Small Sumeru Bag was a gift from her most doting senior uncle within the sect. Such a precious item was not something ordinary cultivators could possess. Within Three Pine Mountain, there were only a handful of people who owned such a treasure, and it was the same elsewhere.

It could be said that if an unclaimed Small Sumeru Bag appeared, it would undoubtedly be fiercely contested by a swarm of cultivators, like hungry wolves pouncing on their prey.

"No, no, you're mistaken. It's just a sachet!"

Pan Yu hastily tried to conceal it, but anyone seeing her would know she was lying. Her acting skills were completely nonexistent.

"Hand it over. If you hand it over, this old Daoist will let you pass. If you refuse, then this old Daoist will take it myself. As for what happens afterward, this old Daoist won't be responsible."

As he spoke, the Daoist let out a strange chuckle and slowly approached Pan Yu.

Yang An felt a prickle of unease and stepped in front of Pan Yu to shield her. However, the Daoist completely ignored him, as if he wasn't even worth noticing.

It was clear that this Daoist intended to devour them whole!

And just as the Daoist was pressing his advantage, Pan Shi also made his move.

"Such big talk! I'm afraid you won't be able to swallow it!"

Since the other party had openly revealed his intentions, conflict was unavoidable. Pan Shi decided not to hold back any longer.

"Fellow Daoist Yang, please take care of my junior sister!"

With that, Pan Shi lunged towards the Daoist in a single stride.