Hurrying through the Outer Circle, Wei Fan saw a towering wooden wall. It was the barrier separating the Inner and Outer Circles, built from rows of thick tree trunks.
The passage into the Inner Circle was guarded by two burly men.
"A newcomer has joined the Night Watch Team. I'm taking him to see the Talisman Master," Shi Meng said.
Hearing this, the two burly guards did not stop them and let them pass directly.
Upon entering the Inner Circle, Wei Fan saw an architectural style completely different from that of the Outer Circle.
The Outer Circle had yellow mud-and-thatch houses, while the Inner Circle had blue-brick, tiled homes. The streets were clean and orderly, and the people wore finer, more colorful clothes.
At the very center of the village's Inner Circle floated an enormous oval boulder, glowing with a faint radiance. It was solemn and mysterious.
The village's Inner Circle was clearly much livelier. The people living here looked healthy and well-fed. The men were strong and imposing, while the women had fair, tender skin and lovely figures.
Seeing Wei Fan's unfamiliar face, quite a few young women cast expectant looks his way.
Wei Fan, however, was not affected. Though the living conditions in the Inner Circle were better, they were only so-so. Compared with the modern city life he had experienced, they were nothing special.
The women of this world, on the other hand, were mostly fair-skinned and beautiful, with graceful, willow-like figures that stirred one's imagination.
After walking more than a hundred paces, Wei Fan saw a grand estate surrounded by high walls and dark tiles. Two imposing stone lions stood before its gates, and the plaque in the center bore the words "Zhu Mansion" in dragon-flight and phoenix-dance calligraphy.
What grandeur!
Wei Fan's gaze darkened as he looked at the Zhu family, the local emperors of Wushan Village.
From within Zhu Mansion came the occasional sound of wind and string instruments, along with women's laughter. Its extravagance formed a stark contrast to the outside.
"Let's go. The Talisman Master's little house is just ahead," Shi Meng said.
The two arrived before a round tower built of stone. The blazing sun hung overhead, yet merely approaching the structure made them feel chilled.
"How eerie!" Wei Fan shuddered, an uneasy feeling rising in his heart.
Shi Meng stepped forward and knocked on the iron-studded wooden door.
Creak.
The wooden door opened. The space inside was incomparably dark. A black-robed figure appeared within the shadows; his face could not be seen, and his movements were so stiff that he did not seem like a living person.
"What do you want?" a hoarse voice asked impatiently.
"Please report to the Talisman Master that a newcomer has joined the Night Watch Team. We have come to collect a month's allotment of Little Flame Talismans!"
"Wait here!" the black-robed man replied coldly before shutting the door again.
After a while, the door opened once more. The black-robed man extended a black wooden box. "Take it!"
"Thank you, Talisman Master!" Shi Meng took the wooden box, then said to Wei Fan, "We've got the Little Flame Talisman. Let's head back first!"
"Why does the sense of danger in my heart grow stronger the closer I get to this little house?" Wei Fan asked.
"Your feeling is correct. The area where the Talisman Master resides affects living creatures, causing intense unease. Over time, it can even inflict irreparable harm upon flesh-and-blood life!" Shi Meng said seriously.
"Irreparable harm to flesh-and-blood life?" Wei Fan sucked in a cold breath. No wonder he had felt such an intense sense of danger earlier.
That figure wrapped in black robes—the person had stayed in the Talisman Master's little house for so long. Could his flesh have already rotted away?
Thinking of this, Wei Fan's scalp went numb.
This world might be even more dangerous than he had imagined!
"This is your Little Flame Talisman. Team members may only hold one at a time; the rest are kept by the Night Watch Team. Only after this Little Flame Talisman is used up can you exchange it for a new one."
Shi Meng opened the box and took out a talisman.
Wei Fan accepted it. The little yellow talisman felt warm in his hand. Its surface was inscribed with intricate patterns, profound and difficult to comprehend, yet it faintly seemed to contain formidable power.
"The Little Flame Talisman has the power to resist monstrosities. When facing one, slap the Little Flame Talisman onto your blade, and the edge will turn scarlet red.
It will be as though it has been imbued with the fire attribute, capable of dealing massive damage to monstrosities."
Shi Meng explained, "Of course, that is only if you can strike the monstrosity's true body. Otherwise, even with a Little Flame Talisman, your life cannot be guaranteed.
The higher a monstrosity's level, the stronger its resistance to the Little Flame Talisman. After cultivating the Three Yuan Battle Art, you should be able to handle ordinary White Ghost Level monstrosities.
If you encounter a Black Ghost, or a monstrosity at the Black Ghost Level or above, you should preserve your life and stall for time at once, waiting for aid."
Before you continue