[Rain-Praying Village] The Chase

"Holy shit, we really have the worst luck!"

Liu Chengfeng cursed under his breath.

"That old hag could've come back any other time, but no, she had to show up right when we were leaving!"

Ning Qiushui did not answer. The first thing that surfaced in his mind was the layout of the Spirit Medium's Residence.

During their earlier search, Ning Qiushui had memorized the residence's main passageways and exits. The walls were far too high, with sharp shards of glass along the top, so climbing over them was out of the question. They could not confront the Spirit Medium head-on, either. Their only option was to circle around.

Fortunately, the Spirit Medium was alone, and villagers did not normally come here, so she had no one to help her.

"Holy shit, buddy, look!"

Liu Chengfeng glanced back and shuddered in terror.

The Spirit Medium, who had barely been able to walk without swaying before, was now chasing them at an astonishing speed!

She had thrown aside her Dragon-Head Cane. Her face was hideously contorted, and an indescribable hunger seemed to lurk in her eyes. The way she ran grew more twisted and unnatural by the second!

"How dare you... trespass in my home!"

"I'll skin you and strip out your bones, crack open your skulls, and pour hot oil into your brains!!"

The Spirit Medium roared like a madwoman. Running behind Ning Qiushui, Liu Chengfeng felt his bladder straining as cold sweat seeped from his forehead. He knew she was not joking!

Judging by the horrors they had seen at Fangcun Pond and the Everlasting Well, the Spirit Medium really was capable of something like that!

"Fuck, fuck, how is she getting faster?"

They finally followed the route around to the residence's main gate, only to discover that the Spirit Medium had locked it from the inside!

Clearly, the suspicious old woman had anticipated that someone might enter her residence and taken an extra precaution.

An old-fashioned lock and a sturdy chain held the gate firmly shut!

"Quick, beardy, get it open!"

Ning Qiushui saw the Spirit Medium appear at the archway around the bend at the far end of the path. His heart began to pound like a temple bell, every beat threatening to leap out of his throat!

The instant Liu Chengfeng saw the lock on the gate, he pulled out his wire and began working it inside the keyhole!

All the while, the Spirit Medium's terrifying figure drew closer and closer!

The two of them could almost smell the foul odor wafting from her body!

"...I welcomed you with nothing but kindness, yet you ill-mannered wretches not only refused to appreciate it, you even came to my home to steal!"

"Since you like my home so much, why don't you stay..."

With Ning Qiushui blocking her view, the Spirit Medium could not see Liu Chengfeng desperately picking the lock behind him.

She simply assumed that the two had given up resisting and were standing there waiting to die.

At some point, the Spirit Medium had produced a strange object in her hand!

It was a deathly white Bone Blade!

Some unidentified black substance still clung to its edge. It looked thick and sticky, utterly revolting. The moment Ning Qiushui saw the Bone Blade, he thought of the black substance on Bai Xiaoxiao's neck. He suspected that this was the blade that had severed her head!

As the Spirit Medium closed in step by step, the lock behind him finally clicked open!

Then Liu Chengfeng let out a deep shout, braced himself, and kicked the gate open!

Bang!

Ning Qiushui was the first to run outside.

This was no time for courtesy!

Staying alive came first!

The two sprinted away, the Spirit Medium's furious roars ringing out behind them. Apparently, she had never imagined that one of them would be an expert lock picker!

But perhaps the book in Ning Qiushui's hand was simply too important. The Spirit Medium still refused to give up and continued chasing them relentlessly!

"For fuck's sake, how can that old hag run so fast? With legs like that, what the fuck does she need a cane for?"

After about half a kilometer, Ning Qiushui hardly felt tired. Liu Chengfeng, on the other hand, was panting hard, his face pale.

Years of intense training had made this level of exertion well within Ning Qiushui's limits, but that did not mean anyone else could handle it.

"The Spirit Medium isn't in good health... she might be keeping up with us now, but pushing her body this hard is bound to take a serious toll!"

At that, something almost resembling delight appeared on Liu Chengfeng's face.

"So we can literally run her to death?"

Ning Qiushui shook his head and eased his pace slightly. The breathless Liu Chengfeng slowed with him, finally getting a little room to breathe!

"I could run her to death. You probably couldn't... but that's fine. I've got this book. Judging by her reaction, it must hold an incredibly important secret. She won't give up easily!"

"She's slowing down now, so we'll pretend to slow down too, like we're running out of strength. That way, she'll think she still has a chance to catch us and keep running..."

Liu Chengfeng glanced back at the Spirit Medium, who was still doggedly pursuing them. The old hag really was something. After running for so long, he could barely breathe, yet she did not even look flushed or winded. If she had not already begun slowing down, he would have been utterly desperate!

"Hey, buddy, doesn't this road look a little familiar?"

As Liu Chengfeng turned back, he finally noticed something.

Ning Qiushui regulated his breathing as he answered.

"Of course it does."

"This road... leads to Fangcun Pond!"

The moment Liu Chengfeng heard that familiar name, his eyes lit up!

"Holy shit... you're a damn genius, buddy!"

"You're just going to lure her over there?"

Ning Qiushui raised the book in his hand.

"This stuff is extremely important to her. The Spirit Medium won't give up easily."

The two continued adjusting their pace, drawing closer and closer to Fangcun Pond as the chase went on!

They could already see the raised platform through the gaps in the dense woods!

Just then, convinced they were finally saved, Liu Chengfeng glanced back at the Spirit Medium once more. And that single glance... froze the smile on his face.