Wangxiang Village

Saint Aunt waited in vain in town, and used the Craft-made parrot to curse Wu Haishan.

Wu Haishan led his men in a hurried pursuit, finding them in the valley.

Only Ah Hua remained, praising the roasted bug skewers.

A Martial Cultivator under Wu Haishan was furious and kicked a stone away, shouting, "Damn it, that brat tricked us again!"

The stone flew up, heading straight for Ah Hua.

The rooster's head shook, its eyes widened, and it shattered the stone with one claw before lunging like lightning at the Martial Cultivator, pecking him hard.

The Martial Cultivator cried out in pain, a bloody hole appearing on his arm!

He furiously drew his saber, but the rooster had already flapped its wings and flown to the treetop.

The Martial Cultivator severed the large tree with one slash, and the rooster flew to another tree, standing on the treetop and defiantly crowing.

"Go on, chop them all down if you dare."

Wu Haishan stopped him, "Business is more important."

The Martial Cultivator grumbled as he sheathed his saber, "I'll get a bow and arrow later and shoot this beast dead!"

Ah Hua, victorious, crowed proudly from the treetop, immensely pleased.

The group followed the tracks further into the mountains, evading powerful evil spirits. They went in circles, and Wu Haishan felt they were close to catching the kid several times, but the kid was slippery as an eel, always escaping at the last moment.

They entered a valley, desolate and barren, with wild grass and trees unnaturally withered.

In front stood a solitary, strange rock, thin and long, with a slightly thicker, head-like top.

Thick vines coiled around the strange rock, blooming with small, pinkish-white flowers.

This strange rock was seven zhang tall. The first time Wu Haishan saw it, he was startled, thinking it was a giant green-skinned, white-flowered poisonous python, raising its head to the sky and swallowing the essence of the sun and moon.

Wu Haishan felt as if the strange rock was staring at him with ill intent.

Wu Haishan scratched his neck irritably, and his Inner Fire uncontrollably spewed from his nostrils.

He didn't need to ask Ah Guang to know that in Ghost Witch Mountain, this kind of rock was almost certainly a strange entity.

"This mountain is truly eerie!"

The person clearing the path ahead stopped, "The kid went southwest."

Wu Haishan impatiently said, "Chase him, what else is there to say?"

As he spoke, his suppressed anger spewed from his mouth.

Wu Haishan didn't want to take this assignment at all—he wanted to stay by Saint Aunt's side and see what this so-called "bait" was. For a Pill Cultivator, this was a rare opportunity to broaden his horizons and a chance to cultivate.

The group skirted the foot of the mountain and followed the tracks.

Xu Yuan was actually about two li ahead, his clothes torn in several places by thorns and branches, looking quite disheveled.

Several times, he had almost been caught.

His ability to escape was thanks to "Fate Gazing."

The Pingtian Society members were stealthily approaching from the woods and grass, and Xu Yuan could see their "Fate" one step ahead.

The "Sky Rock Python" that was about to take form in the distance kept staring at him, and Xu Yuan's back broke out in goosebumps.

This strange entity could see all prey within a ten-li radius.

"Enter Wangxiang Village before nightfall, absolutely do not spend the night in the mountains!" Xu Yuan calculated the distance; time was tight, so he quickened his pace.

Wu Haishan chased for another hour before suddenly stopping Ah Guang, "It's getting dark, where could that kid go? Does he want to die in Ghost Witch Mountain?"

Ah Guang replied, "He's probably heading to Wangxiang Village."

Wu Haishan continued, "Can we stay at Wangxiang Village?"

Ah Guang answered again, "No, mountain villages never take in lodgers."

"Then how will he spend the night in the village?"

"He'll pretend to be a merchant coming to collect goods. The mountain rule is: villagers give what they give, and the price must be fair; no cheating or deception."

Wu Haishan breathed a sigh of relief, "Just spend some money."

Ah Guang remained silent, his expression blank.

That dose of medicine could make someone obedient and answer any question, but Wu Haishan's last statement wasn't a question, so Ah Guang didn't explain that it wasn't just a matter of spending money.

The sky in the mountains darkened earlier than in town, causing Xu Yuan to misjudge the time. Night was fast approaching, and Xu Yuan was still half a li from Wangxiang Village.

The surrounding gullies and ravines had completely fallen into darkness, and various strange sounds echoed, as if something was emerging.

Xu Yuan sprinted. Just as he passed a small grove, a pair of mural-like eyes opened on the tree bark, and branches, sharp as Ghost Claws, reached for Xu Yuan, but grazed his back as they missed.

Those eyes were filled with regret and hunger, watching the Blood Food depart.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The sound of wooden clubs echoed from the village, like a night watchman in the city.

The sound of the wooden staff fell, and the village was about to close its gates.

Xu Yuan panicked and shouted, "Wait a moment—"

Once the gates were closed, no one was allowed in or out. Anyone who dared to trespass would be met with the village's Mountain Runners' choppers and crossbows.

If you could defeat the Mountain Runners, the village rules wouldn't apply to you, and you could do whatever you pleased in the entire village.

But Xu Yuan clearly didn't have that ability right now.

Wangxiang Village was home to over thirty households, with less than two hundred people.

Outside the village, peach wood stakes were driven into the ground, and peach branches were woven into a fence wall, forming a circle.

The gate was narrow, not even as wide as the main entrance of the "Yitingfang" inn.

An old man, over fifty, with rough, dark skin, a hunched back, and a face full of sorrow, was closing the gate while banging a wooden clapper.

Hearing the shout, the old man merely shifted his gaze. Seeing it was someone he didn't recognize, he didn't even pause.

Xu Yuan quickly shouted again, "I'm here to collect goods, and the price will be absolutely fair!"

The old man's eyes rolled upward again. Seeing that the sky wasn't completely dark yet, he paused briefly.

The gate closed halfway and stopped there.

Xu Yuan rushed to the gate at his fastest speed, his figure flashing as he slipped into the village.

"There's us too!" another shout suddenly came from behind. "We're also here to collect goods."

The old man had lifted the gate and was about to close it. The sky had already completely darkened.

But upon a second look, he recognized one of them, Ah Guang.

Knowing Ah Guang was familiar with the Mountain Runners, he slowed down a bit.

Wu Haishan and his group were all Enter Stream cultivators. Their desperate speed was very fast. Xu Yuan wished he could help the old man and slam the gate shut.

But within the village, Xu Yuan dared not act rashly.

"Can't make it, can't make it, can't ma—" Xu Yuan muttered incessantly in his heart, watching the gate close until only a crack remained, about to be shut completely.

Suddenly, a hand reached out from the gap, jamming the gate.

According to the rules, as long as the gate wasn't closed, people could still enter.

Wu Haishan was sweating profusely. He had brought three cultivators with him, making a total of five people including Ah Guang.

Aside from Wu Haishan and Ah Guang, the other three were injured.

The most tragic one had his left arm below the elbow bitten off by something unknown!

They were behind Xu Yuan, and the malevolent spirits and strange entities had already been dispatched.

Wu Haishan saw Xu Yuan and flashed a cruel smile. "You little brat, you actually ran..."

As he moved forward to attack, a smoking pipe stem was extended, blocking the space between them.

"Deal with things outside, outside. This is our village's rule," the old man's voice, thick with phlegm, sounded unpleasant.

Wu Haishan frowned displeasedly. This old geezer wasn't a Mountain Runner, yet he dared to set rules for me?

The old man took a puff from his pipe. The copper bowl of the pipe instantly turned red-hot. Wu Haishan cried out, "Ah!" and a large blister formed on his arm from the burn!

He looked at the old man in astonishment. He was a Pill Cultivator with "Inner Fire"; ordinary flames couldn't harm him.

Let alone burn him.