The Vanished Hunters

Two people from Chen Family Village had vanished—neither alive nor dead bodies could be found. This was clearly abnormal.

Before they had even entered the village, the experienced Wu Si'an had already begun using his enhanced vision to observe the surrounding area from afar for anything unusual.

The ordinary disciples traveling alongside him were also quick-witted. Following his example, they swiftly examined the area for abnormalities.

Using the method Wu Si'an had just taught him, Li Yuan circulated his inner force into his eyes, greatly sharpening his vision. He quickly swept his gaze around but found nothing unusual near Chen Family Village.

Before long, six galloping horses charged into Chen Family Village, and the martial academy disciples immediately saw the villagers who had been waiting for them.

The martial academy disciples dismounted one after another. The villagers quickly led their horses away to tend to them, and an elderly man with hair and beard white as snow came forward to greet them.

"Thank you all for coming to Chen Family Village. We have been awaiting you for a long time."

Wu Si'an had visited Chen Family Village many times before and spoke familiarly. "Village Chief Chen, there is no need for courtesy. Tell us what happened."

The old village chief let out a long sigh, a trace of grief in his voice as he explained the situation with the two hunters to the martial academy disciples.

After some time, everyone finally understood what had happened.

Two days ago, two hunters from the village had arranged to go into the mountains together. They set out that morning, but neither had returned by nightfall, and the village realized that something might have happened to them.

But the nights in this world were far too dangerous. The villagers did not dare go out searching after dark and could only wait until dawn the next morning to look for the two hunters who had failed to return.

A large number of villagers formed a mountain search party, but even after searching for an entire day, they found nothing.

Wu Si'an nodded to the old village chief to indicate that he understood, then said, "I know the situation now. Take us to their homes first."

There might be clues in the hunters' homes. They might gain something by taking a look.

A group of villagers led the martial academy disciples toward Chen Song's home. Chen Song made his living as a hunter. His wife had died long ago, leaving only a single daughter to depend on each other for survival.

When Li Yuan and the others arrived at Chen Song's home, they saw a little girl of seven or eight. Ever since learning that her father's whereabouts were unknown, no one knew how many times she had cried. Her eyes were now swollen red, and her face was streaked with tears.

Seeing the huge crowd file in, she showed no reaction. She sat numbly on a small wooden stool, like a little wooden doll.

The sight stirred something in Li Yuan's heart. This scene... was it not exactly like his own past?

Wu Si'an also sighed softly. He forced a faint smile onto his face and crouched before the little girl.

"Little sister, don't be afraid. I'm from the martial academy in the city. I'm here specifically to deal with your father's case."

"Think carefully. Has your father done anything unusual these past few days?"

Wu Si'an spoke gently, but the little girl did not react at all.

"When your father left to hunt, did he say anything? For example, where he was going to hunt?"

"How long he would be gone?"

"In what direction?"

What could a child of only a few years possibly know clearly? Wu Si'an asked a string of questions, but the girl merely shook her head slowly.

Wu Si'an rose helplessly and shook his head at Li Yuan. It seemed they would get nothing out of this place. The martial academy disciples searched Chen Song's home but found no useful clues either, so they headed for the other hunter's home.

The other hunter was called Chen Lao San. He was a bachelor and lived alone. The group from the martial academy likewise found nothing in Chen Lao San's home.

Afterward, Wu Si'an dismissed the gathered villagers and prepared to act. Turning to one of the martial academy disciples beside him, he said, "Junior Disciple Kong, it's up to you now."

Junior Disciple Kong was named Kong Zhi. He too had come from a hunting background. Before entering the martial academy, he had worked as a hunter for quite some time, and his experience was no worse than that of those old hunters.

That was why, among so many ordinary disciples in the martial academy, Kong Zhi had specifically been brought along.

Kong Zhi chuckled. "Don't worry. Leave it to me. I'm confident I can find out where those two went."

As he spoke, Kong Zhi immediately got to work. He searched around the homes of Chen Lao San and Chen Song and quickly found traces of the two men's movements when they had set out. Combining those with the clues the villagers had just provided, Kong Zhi pinpointed a direction and swiftly tracked out of the village.

Hunters understood hunters best. Kong Zhi easily identified the various traces the two hunters had left on the ground. No matter how faint those traces were, they could not escape his eyes.

Li Yuan, Wu Si'an, and the others followed behind Kong Zhi. Before long, the group left Chen Family Village and headed deep into the wild mountains.

The scenery before them gradually changed, from wasteland overgrown with weeds to thickets, and finally to dense forest. Sunlight filtered through layer upon layer of leaves overhead, scattering specks of light across the ground.

"Junior Disciple Kong, have you found anything?" Wu Si'an asked as he kept a close watch on their surroundings.

A trace of gravity appeared on Kong Zhi's face. "The situation does not look good. The two of them have most likely already met with disaster."

Wu Si'an's brow furrowed slightly. "Why do you say that?"

Kong Zhi explained slowly, "I noticed it in their homes earlier. Neither of them had a powerful bow at home, which means they both took their powerful bows with them when they left... They would only use those when hunting large prey."

"Large prey is not easy to find. There is little large prey near human settlements; only in the deep mountains and dense forests is it easier to find. Judging from the route they took, they went deeper into the mountains."

Kong Zhi gave a bitter smile. "But that is exactly the problem. It is true that there is plenty of large prey in the deep mountains, but if the place is too secluded and desolate, then what they might encounter... is hard to say."

The hearts of the martial academy disciples sank, and none of them spoke. They all knew what Kong Zhi was referring to.

Evil Creatures!

The skies were clear and the sun shone brightly during the day. Ninety-nine percent of demons and ghosts hid away, burrowing wherever it was dark and devoid of light... such as these deep mountain forests.

The disciples said nothing more and simply followed Kong Zhi onward in silence.

Kong Zhi's tracking skills were exceptional. Several times, the clues on the ground broke off and they lost the direction. Kong Zhi wandered around and searched for a while, only to find the trail again and resume tracking. In the vast wilderness of the mountains, he stubbornly clung to the direction in which the two hunters had gone.

As they pressed on, the forest grew denser and the surroundings became increasingly deep and shadowed. Layer upon layer of leaves covered the sky overhead, letting through less and less sunlight, while even the air around them grew cold and gloomy.

"Two idiots."

"They should not have continued deeper at a time like this. This place is already unsafe."

Kong Zhi cursed as he walked, his voice carrying a deep note of regret.

Wu Si'an's expression sharpened. "Stay alert. Keep watch on the surroundings at all times."

"Yes." The disciples answered in unison.

Li Yuan remained secretly vigilant. The environment here gave him an oppressive feeling. If anything unexpected were to happen, it would be here.

As they continued onward, the surroundings grew darker and darker. The sun above was nearly impossible to see, while the soil beneath their feet became increasingly soft and damp. Now everyone could see two clear sets of footprints stretching ahead.

After advancing several hundred meters deeper into the dense forest, the traces left by the two hunters became more obvious—and more chaotic. Li Yuan even saw signs of a struggle and something being dragged!

And those drag marks extended all the way to a mud pit in a low-lying area not far away!

"This is!?"

At the sight, everyone was shocked. Everything at the scene told them instantly what had happened here.

The two hunters had traveled onward and approached that mud pit, when something had crawled out of it and attacked them!

The hunters had tried to run, but failed to escape. After being killed, their bodies had been dragged into the mud pit!

That mud pit was dangerous!

What had attacked the hunters was still unknown!

The martial academy disciples were only several dozen paces from the mud pit. Understanding one another without words, they exchanged glances, then cautiously began backing away, intending to leave first and make plans afterward.

But it was already too late!

The aura of the living had already alerted the thing hiding in the mud pit!

Boom—

One part of the mud pit suddenly exploded. A pitch-black shadow leaped out in an instant, charging at the disciples through the flying mud!