Then You Die First

Jiang Dao narrowed his eyes. After listening to Lü An finish in one breath, he instantly understood what had happened.

"Since you knew they were already acting abnormally at the time, why didn't you report it to headquarters?"

He asked.

"This lowly one didn't know then that something would happen to them. Besides, they were all stewards, while this lowly one was merely a minor manager. How would I have dared report them? I only thought it was their personal interest."

Lü An's face was filled with panic as he spoke.

"After they disappeared, did anyone else become like this?"

Jiang Dao asked.

"Yes. Two more people in the gang have become abnormal. They've started chanting scriptures every night as well. They refuse to leave their rooms, locking themselves inside. They eat and relieve themselves entirely in their rooms."

Lü An hurriedly replied.

"Where are they now?"

Jiang Dao asked.

"They're in their rooms!"

Lü An answered.

"Take me there!"

Jiang Dao said.

"Hall Master, please follow me!"

Lü An hurriedly led Jiang Dao toward the interior of the compound.

Behind them, Hu Biao and Fan Hu frowned and exchanged a glance. At last, they dismounted and led their men after them.

They passed through corridors and headed deeper inside.

Torches had already been lit in many parts of the enormous compound.

Even so, many areas still appeared gloomy and uncanny, permeated by threads of chill.

"Mokeqi mokeqi, Arosalosa..."

Strings of sinister, unknown syllables suddenly drifted faintly from a courtyard ahead. They hooked at the soul and entered the mind, making one's thoughts surge at once, bringing wave after wave of hollow clarity.

Jiang Dao's gaze tightened slightly. He listened for a moment, then strode toward the front.

At last, they arrived at a courtyard.

There had originally been five rooms in the courtyard, but only two were still occupied now. The other three had all been vacated.

Lü Fang had worried that this strange chanting might "spread," so the moment those two showed symptoms, he had immediately moved everyone else living in the same courtyard away, leaving this isolated courtyard solely for their use.

"Hall Master, those are the two rooms!"

Lü An pointed ahead in alarm.

It was clear to see that all five rooms were pitch-black, their windows and doors tightly shut. Yet chanting continuously came from two of them, vague and hazy, mysterious and unknown.

"They don't light lamps at night?"

Jiang Dao asked.

"No. Even during the day, they keep their windows tightly sealed and never see the sun."

Lü An said.

"If they don't light lamps at night, how do they read the scriptures?"

Fan Hu frowned.

"This lowly one doesn't know either."

Lü An replied.

Jiang Dao suddenly turned and glanced at Hu Biao and Fan Hu. "Would you two like to take a look?"

"Please, Hall Master Jiang, go first. We can provide support from the side."

Fan Hu smiled.

Jiang Dao snorted coldly inside. He looked again at the two rooms before him and said, "Break down the doors!"

Lü An immediately called over a group of men and had them start ramming the doors.

With a Hall Master backing them, the men immediately lifted a thick door beam and smashed it fiercely against the two doors.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Dull thuds rang out.

The two thin wooden doors seemed as though great mountains were bracing them from within. Four or five men slammed into them together, yet they did not budge in the slightest.

The chanting inside did not falter at all. It continued without interruption.

"Move aside!"

Jiang Dao's gaze darkened as he strode forward.

The men hurriedly carried the beam and quickly retreated.

Boom!

Jiang Dao kicked out. His force was immense, like a bronze pillar crashing through. The wooden door before him exploded on the spot, breaking into four pieces as splinters flew everywhere.

A pungent, fishy stench immediately came howling out of the room, sweeping over them like heaven and earth collapsing. It stabbed at their nostrils and made tears stream from their eyes.

Many of the men nearly vomited.

The smell was like dozens of corpses piled together, rotting and stinking.

Jiang Dao had already held his breath at the first instant. His eyes flashed like lightning as he looked inside.

Lü An covered his mouth and nose and quickly had someone bring over a torch, shining it into the pitch-black room.

The room was small, gloomy, and dark, slowly illuminated by the torchlight.

The walls were covered in bizarre graffiti.

The table was a complete mess.

The floor was strewn with scraps of white paper.

Dark bloodstains could be seen in the shadows, along with plenty of food scraps.

In the southeast corner stood a stone-carved Buddha statue about a foot tall. It looked exceedingly sinister, devoid of the compassion of an ordinary Buddha statue. Instead, it carried an eerie, wicked charm.

A gang member dressed in black stood with his back to the crowd, facing the Buddha statue.

His chanting had been continuously ringing out before, but when the wooden door was kicked open, all sound abruptly stopped.

Jiang Dao examined him. His gaze landed on the gang member's back as his burly body advanced step by step. He stopped behind the man and looked down at him.

"Why did you stop chanting?"

His voice was cold.

The gang member remained completely still, as though he had not heard him.

Jiang Dao reached out and lightly grabbed his shoulder, but the instant his hand touched him, his expression darkened.

With a squelch, the person before him instantly deflated and slumped to one side.

There was only a sheet of human skin left!

All the flesh and bones inside had vanished.

Countless maggots wriggled inside the skin, a glistening mass of white that gave off a foul stench. It was utterly revolting.

Lü An hurriedly covered his mouth, nearly vomiting again.

"Dead."

Jiang Dao casually tossed the human skin aside and flicked his hand. His gaze shifted as he swept the room, saying in a low voice, "Go to the other room and see how the other person is doing."

"Fine!"

Hu Biao and Fan Hu both nodded and walked out of the room.

Jiang Dao looked around once, then his gaze suddenly fell on the stone Buddha statue. He frowned slightly, reached out with a large hand, and grabbed the statue, inspecting it in his palm.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed as he noticed two small characters on the statue's base.

Little Stone!

"Where did this Buddha statue come from? Are there any temples nearby?"

Jiang Dao asked.

Lü An covered his mouth and nose and hurriedly replied, "There seems to be an ancient temple. But there are very few monks there, and its incense offerings have nearly died out. It's twenty li east of Greenstone Town, called Little Stone Temple."

"Little Stone Temple?"

Jiang Dao studied the two characters on the statue's base. "This thing came from Little Stone Temple?"

"This subordinate doesn't know."

Lü An said.

Holding the Buddha statue, Jiang Dao turned and walked out, heading toward the other room.

The chanting from the other room also suddenly stopped. A foul stench filled it, torchlight flickered, and a group of men quickly searched inside.

Before long, Hu Biao and Fan Hu emerged, each holding an identical Buddha statue.

"Did the rooms of the other missing people have these things too?"

Hu Biao asked hoarsely.

"Reporting to Hall Master, absolutely not!"

Lü An said.

"No? Could it be that these things disappear after something happens?"

Hu Biao frowned. "Are there any temples nearby?"

Lü An hurriedly repeated what he had just said.

"Hall Master Jiang, it seems this matter isn't settled yet. How about we go to Little Stone Temple and take a look?"

Fan Hu forced out a half-smile as he looked at Jiang Dao.

Jiang Dao turned his head, rolled his neck, and looked deeply at the two of them. "Fine. Let's go!"

He carried the stone Buddha statue with him and headed outside.

Hu Biao and Fan Hu's hearts tightened as they exchanged another glance.

There had seemed to be something off about Jiang Dao's gaze just now.

What's there to fear? He's just a brat under twenty. Even if he started practicing martial arts in his mother's womb, how strong could he be?

Hu Biao thought to himself.

The two led their men straight after Jiang Dao.

The group mounted swift horses and hurried through the night toward Little Stone Temple.

The night was deep and still.

The moon hung above the willow branches.

The surrounding mountain forests rustled softly.

Halfway there, Hu Biao's eyes turned gloomy. He signaled Fan Hu, then slowly took a black porcelain bottle from his robes and pulled out its stopper. A strand of strange fragrance drifted with the wind, blowing ahead.

At the same time, the two silently swallowed red pills and signaled everyone behind them to hold their breath.

Neigh!

Suddenly, the horses let out pained cries.

Without exception, all the swift horses they rode collapsed to the ground at the same time, their limbs twitching, foam spilling from their mouths as they died miserably.

Jiang Dao lightly leaped from his horse's back and landed steadily on the ground.

He gently shook his head, feeling dizzy and short of breath.

"Hall Master Jiang, what's wrong? Feeling unwell?"

Hu Biao let out a hoarse, strange laugh.

Jiang Dao's eyes turned cold as he spun around.

"You poisoned me?"

Hu Biao and Fan Hu both wore smiles, chuckling darkly.

The men behind him also covered their mouths and noses, standing motionless as they stared intently at Jiang Dao.

"Hall Master Jiang, rest easy and die. These mountains and waters are fair and lovely, just right for burying your bones. Once you've inhaled the Golden Wave Poison Mist, even an elephant has to obediently die."

Hu Biao laughed hoarsely.

Jiang Dao's gaze was terrifying, blazing beneath the moonlight. An invisible, dreadful aura radiated from his entire body.

"Is that so? Did the Left Guardian tell you to make your move?"

"Why does a dead man ask so many questions? Once you're dead, we'll tell you!"

Hu Biao laughed.

"Then you die first."