Desperate Rush

Chen Fei was just about to speak and wake the others when he suddenly saw a ball of red light flare from Qian Jijiang's chest. Then a puff of scorched black smoke rose, and Qian Jijiang shuddered in pain.

"Hmm? Something's wrong. We've been here before!"

Qian Jijiang's eyes regained their clarity. Looking at the surroundings, especially the mountain village in the distance, his face turned pale.

"How do we wake them?"

Chen Fei asked aloud. Qian Jijiang truly had some tricks up his sleeve. If Chen Fei had not possessed the Serene Heart Incantation, he would likely have been bewitched by the strange force and unable to regain his senses.

"You're all right?"

Qian Jijiang cast Chen Fei a surprised glance, but he had no mind to ask further. Instead, he took out an incense stick from his bundle and lit it. Wisps of green smoke spread through the surroundings. Yan Qing and the other three came to their senses in a daze, and when they looked again at the mountain village in the distance, their expressions changed drastically.

"There's something strange in that mountain village. Run!"

Seeing that everyone had recovered, Qian Jijiang had no time to explain. He lowered his head and ran forward. The others did not dare delay and hurried after him.

Chen Fei followed behind, continuously circulating the Serene Heart Incantation. The icy sensation slowly calmed him. Looking at the mist pressing in from all around, Chen Fei tried his best to peer farther ahead. The chill gradually surged into his eyes.

"It worked!"

Chen Fei was delighted, but his face immediately changed. Though he could see farther, what appeared in the distance was not another path, but that small mountain village.

Compared to the first time, they were now drawing ever closer to that small mountain village. They could even clearly make out the houses within it.

The land was broad and level, the houses neat and orderly. There were fertile fields and mulberry groves, paths crisscrossing like a hidden paradise beyond the world. Amid the shadowy shapes, many figures could even be seen standing within, all facing their direction, seemingly waiting for their arrival.

Chen Fei shivered and shouted, "Stop! We're getting closer to that village!"

Everyone was startled. Recalling that Chen Fei had been the first to awaken earlier, Qian Jijiang believed him somewhat and could not help stopping.

"What did you see?" Qian Jijiang asked anxiously.

"Houses, fields, and many people standing there, facing us!"

Chen Fei's expression was grim. At that moment, the bone-attached sore was so cold it felt as though it would freeze his arm stiff. Yet the chill in his heart was even worse. If they could not pass this trial, they would likely never see Xingfen City.

"Old Qian, think of something!"

Chi Defeng turned to Qian Jijiang. At this point, if anyone could lead them out, it could only be the experienced Qian Jijiang.

"Stay close to me, everyone. I'm going to run at full speed!"

With a pained look, Qian Jijiang took a half-burned Red Candle from his bundle. It looked no different from the candles used by ordinary households. He carefully lit its wick.

A ring of red light spread out, enveloping all of them.

Whether it was an illusion or not, beneath the red glow, the chill that had blanketed their bodies vanished completely. A sense of peace filled their hearts.

At the same time, wherever the red light shone, the surrounding mist automatically dispersed, as if it feared the candlelight.

"Run!"

Qian Jijiang shouted low and shot forward. The others did not dare tarry and followed close behind him.

The group of six were all skilled in movement techniques. Thus, although Qian Jijiang was going all out, everyone still managed to keep close behind him.

The mist ahead scattered away, and the small mountain village finally did not appear again. Everyone's hearts relaxed slightly. If they saw that village once more, they truly might go mad.

"No, no! Stop! Everyone, stop!"

Qian Jijiang suddenly shouted. His face was terrifyingly pale. Everyone looked at him in confusion, but Chen Fei noticed the Red Candle in Qian Jijiang's hand. In that brief span of time, it had already burned through more than half.

And even as Chen Fei watched, the Red Candle continued shrinking at a visible rate. At this pace, in another quarter of an hour, it would burn out completely.

"What's wrong?" Chi Defeng asked in confusion.

"The candle is burning too quickly. We haven't moved away from the strange things—we've gotten closer to them instead!"

Holding the candle, Qian Jijiang tested all four directions. Only toward the southeast did the candle burn more slowly.

"This way!"

Qian Jijiang said, then immediately charged out.

Chen Fei looked around, his heart trembling with cold. The Serene Heart Incantation was useful, allowing him to remain awake, but being awake alone did not seem to be enough.

If they could not leave this place, then he would likely be eaten alive while fully conscious.

Especially the indistinct, icy gazes behind them, which raised goosebumps across Chen Fei's back uncontrollably, as though those strange things would pounce on them the next moment.

"The mountain village... that mountain village has appeared again."

After running for a while, Feng Yu suddenly pointed into the distance and shouted. Everyone turned to look, and it was indeed the village they had seen before.

After circling round and round, they seemed to have returned to their starting point. Meanwhile, less than thirty percent of the Red Candle in Qian Jijiang's hand remained.

"What a loss, what a loss!"

Qian Jijiang looked at the Red Candle, then at the distant village. Gritting his teeth, he pulled another candle from his bundle. Unlike the previous Red Candle, this one was pure white.

"These strange things are too powerful. Now, we can only gamble. Otherwise, none of us will be able to leave this place today," Qian Jijiang said in a deep voice.

"What do we need to do?"

"Once I light this White Candle, I'll throw it directly behind us. This White Candle has the opposite effect of the Red Candle—it draws strange things in. So afterward, behind us will be extremely dangerous. Run as fast as you can."

Qian Jijiang spoke quietly. This was practically a life-or-death gamble. But if they did not do this, they would likely keep circling here until the Red Candle burned out, and then everyone would die.

Yan Qing and the others looked at each other, but none of them stopped Qian Jijiang. They had no better solution, so they could only follow his arrangements.

Qian Jijiang lowered his head and lit the White Candle.

An indescribable scent drifted out from the White Candle. Qian Jijiang used all his strength to hurl it behind them. Its flame swayed unceasingly, yet it did not go out.

The next moment, Qian Jijiang clutched the Red Candle and ran madly forward.

Compared to before, Qian Jijiang's movement speed increased by more than half.

The others were all startled by Qian Jijiang's speed. Only Chen Fei kept pace steadily behind him, with Chi Defeng following after Chen Fei.

Yan Qing and Yan Ding gave muffled shouts and stabbed each other with their sword blades. Amid the spreading blood, their figures abruptly vanished, reappearing close behind Chi Defeng.

The old woman Feng Yu tossed a pill into her mouth. Green qi immediately surfaced on her face. As she moved her feet, she overtook Yan Qing and Yan Ding in a single burst, chasing behind Chi Defeng.

"Heh heh heh..."

A low laugh seemed to drift through the mountain forest. The surrounding mist grew denser, but fortunately, it surged toward the rear. The mist ahead of them instead gradually thinned.

Everyone's spirits lifted slightly. That White Candle had indeed worked, and the feeling of being watched at every moment had vanished completely.