Investigating the Situation

The people who were screaming in terror moments ago suddenly froze as if a stop button had been pressed.

They looked up blankly towards Du En.

"No need to scream, just bury them quickly."

He was as calm as ever.

"Oh, oh."

The few people dazedly followed him to bury the bodies. As the corpses were covered, they quickly snapped out of the influence. Although they still felt lingering fear and unease whenever they thought about it, the dread continued to spread.

After all, even the people who usually bullied them and whom they couldn't resist had died so miserably. If they were targeted, wouldn't they suffer even worse?

The fear and unease stemming from this mindset were normal.

What was abnormal was the emotion amplified and out of control due to the evil influence.

This was some kind of evil technique!

As for Xu Ran, who hadn't been interrupted in time when they first encountered it, he was now standing there like a statue, frozen and unable to move or react.

It wasn't until Du En and the others had completely buried the bodies that Xu Ran finally came back to his senses and gasped for air.

"Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!"

"What... what just happened to me? No! Du En, you kid are practically a natural-born Corpse Burying Spiritual Body! How could you do that with a straight face and a steady heart!?"

Du En silently observed Xu Ran's somewhat incoherent behavior, synthesizing his own observations and feelings to reach a conclusion.

It seemed that witnessing the bodies being buried had broken the evil technique affecting him!

Furthermore, the residual energy on the corpse bags had completely dissipated.

Before Xu Ran had fully recovered, Du En had used his shovel to touch the corpse bag again.

There was no longer any residual energy infecting him.

Clearly, this evil technique attached itself to the corpses. Once buried in the wasteland, the corpses could no longer stir up any trouble, and all nearby residual influences vanished along with them.

If this was true, then everyone else who had witnessed the corpses, besides Xu Ran, was still under its influence.

He appeared to be an unlucky target, but in reality, he had inadvertently broken free from the evil technique and removed a hidden danger, making him quite fortunate.

"My senses and perceptions have become clearer. Unlike before, when I could only feel the evil energy but not detect the residual energy or confirm the existence of the evil technique, this is a change after my cultivation technique broke through."

The deeper one delved into cultivation level and cultivation techniques, the clearer their perception and understanding of all things in the world would become!

"Alright, Du En, I need to report back."

Having calmed his emotions, Xu Ran naturally didn't want to stay any longer and wanted to return to report.

At this moment, Du En stopped him and asked, "No need to rush off. If you go back now, you'll likely just be sent to transport more corpses. Why not slack off here for a bit?"

"This... alright, you're right. The boss is the one who knows best how to squeeze us dry." Xu Ran had to admit that Du En was correct. The corpses they were supposed to transport today were still waiting!

Then, since he had already returned to normal, he continued, "You want to ask about the whole story, right? Let's go to the corner, and I'll tell you."

His demeanor suggested that this matter shouldn't be spread around, which disappointed the others.

However, Du En stated bluntly, "You just want to leave the wasteland."

"Haha..."

Xu Ran chuckled awkwardly, not denying it. He turned and headed towards the woods outside the wasteland.

Du En followed, and the others followed, gathering under the shade of the trees.

As expected, Xu Ran didn't care and spoke directly, "I actually don't know how they died. We were gathering to start sorting corpses at the third watch."

Sorting corpses, scavenging corpses.

"At that time, the foreman was supposed to be cultivating and didn't need to get involved; the boss would obediently provide for him. But then, the foreman from the corpse collection side suddenly ran over in a panic, and we were all called to the scene."

"The location was an open space where the two gangs were holding negotiations. The Blood Eagle Gang and the Iron Hand Gang had some recent friction, but due to the pressure from the Green Robe Gang, they were still cooperating. So, they should have been having a routine meeting."

Hearing this, Du En interrupted directly, "It rained yesterday. Even if they stopped in the middle of the night, they wouldn't usually go to an open space for negotiations at this time, especially when the situation between the gangs has been stable recently with no major changes."

Xu Ran blinked and carefully replayed the events. He nodded, "Indeed. The entire scene was chaotic back then, and I was all over the place. Thinking about it now, it's strange that I didn't see any other members from the two gangs there, only the two gang leaders stuck together, dead."

Lured there?

Everyone quickly considered this possibility.

Xu Ran rubbed his temples, looking worried, "In short, these Evil Cultivators are rampant. They dare to attack them now, and there will likely be other major actions to follow."

The gang leaders were connected to the stewards and controlled by them. Even the foremen, who usually looked down on them, wouldn't offend them without reason, considering these connections.

But the Evil Cultivators who attacked, or perhaps, the Evil Cultivators, were not afraid of this at all!

Du En intentionally asked, "So, the foremen didn't investigate at all? I remember the one from your side was at Peak Qi Refining."

Xu Ran heard this and thought carefully again, then his pupils contracted. "At that time, the foreman was first angry, then fearful. He might have known the Evil Cultivators who attacked and realized he couldn't defeat them, which is why he rushed to Elegant Courtyard with the other foremen to report!"

Good heavens!

This was chilling to hear!

Even a foreman at Peak Qi Refining felt fear, so how serious could it be!

Ning Caize and Wei Ming exchanged glances, their worry growing. They felt the stable situation was on the verge of collapse.

Du En, having learned what he wanted to know, calmly made his judgment.

Considering that the Foreman, who was at Peak Qi Refining, seemed to recognize and fear the attacker, and combined with the residual aura of evil techniques leaking from the Corpse Bag magic tool, the Evil Cultivator, whether singular or plural, should still be within the Qi Refining Stage.

If the Foremen had already reported this successfully, it was highly likely.

This could be determined simply by observing whether the Corpse Transporters would bring the corpses they were supposed to transport today as usual.

If the Foremen returned unharmed, they would naturally work diligently. But if the Foremen were also dead, they would naturally huddle together and not arrive in their usual groups.

Li Yue's temperament basically guaranteed this.

Therefore, Du En waited patiently.

He didn't wait long before the sound of wheels began to approach.

It was the Corpse Transporters' convoy.

There were actually only three carts, piled high with corpses, like three moving tombs.

They appeared terrified, looking at the sunlit, now empty area with only the carts, which scared them so much they almost turned and fled.

Fortunately, Du En waved his shovel in a timely manner as a signal, and they finally saw the seven people gathered under the shade of a tree off to the side.

"Damn it, you scared me to death!"

"Ah Ran is okay too, that's good. Du En is reliable after all."

"Like Ah Ran said, it's a Corpse Burying Spiritual Body!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down. If they hear you, they'll hit you with a shovel. I'll just laugh at you."

Since everyone here was fine and the Foremen had already returned, the Corpse Transporters' mood quickly calmed. They chatted amongst themselves, their attitudes relatively cheerful.

They quickly got to work, arranging dozens of rotting corpses in rows on the barren land under the sun.

Du En observed their every move from afar, thus confirming that the Foremen had likely returned safely. However, the Evil Cultivator had probably not been caught, and the Stewards had not been mobilized, which was why they had been so unsettled, like startled mice.

"Those Stewards..."

He wasn't surprised at all and quickly thought about his next course of action.