Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Hua Yuling threw herself completely into the shamanic dance. The earth beneath her feet trembled along with her movements. One step, two steps-and one of the mud monsters suddenly burst apart.

Three steps, four steps. The courtyard became like a fireworks show as more and more bodies exploded, spraying thick black sludge in every direction.

Huahua’s face went deathly pale. Her steps shifted sharply, and she spun her waist with all her strength. The hem of her white skirt whirled into the shape of a pure snow lotus.

Bang, bang, bang!

Over a hundred mud monsters exploded, leaving behind a chaotic pile of withered branches on the ground.

Huahua’s face was ashen. She spat out a huge mouthful of blood and staggered backward. I quickly reached out to support her, but Song Tianming beat me to it and swept her into his arms.

Zhao Tian panicked. “Hey, buddy, don’t fight me for this. Let me hold her. When we get back, I’ll give you that limited-edition sports car of mine. Haven’t you been drooling over it for ages?”

Song Tianming gave him a cool glance. His gaze was sharp and murderous. Zhao Tian immediately shut his mouth and shrank a step to the side.

“Why are you so scary?”

“Because he’s not my brother.”

Song Feifei pointed into the crowd.

“My brother is over there-”

In the crowd stood another Song Tianming, frozen in place with a terrified expression. He looked around and saw that most of the people in the courtyard were dead, with only twenty-odd survivors left.

His mind turned to mush, and he burst into frightened tears.

“Feifei, help me!”

Song Feifei ran over to him.

“What are you screaming for? Who told you to run around?”

Song Tianming said, “Stop scolding me. Just take me home. I miss my mom so much.”

Lu Lingzhu still looked utterly lost. “If that’s Song Tianming, then who is this Song Tianming?”

Hua Yuling’s lashes trembled as she forced her eyes open.

“The reason these Wriggling Grass don’t carry the aura of Gu worms is because someone used an Innate Gu Body to conceal it for them.”

As she spoke, she seized Song Tianming’s wrist with all her strength and said in a trembling voice, “Ji Kang-”

Song Tianming-no, Ji Kang-remained expressionless, but his pupils abruptly contracted.

He slowly pulled his hand free from Hua Yuling’s grasp. He neither admitted it nor denied it. Instead, he quickened his pace, turned, and walked away.

“Ji Kang, where are you going?”

Hua Yuling wanted to chase after him, but she was already spent. She could barely stand. I half-supported her and could only watch as Ji Kang walked back toward the Buddhist pagoda, his figure vanishing beyond the courtyard gate.

This was already the second time he had refused to communicate with us.

Just like last time, his attitude was extremely cold. And this time, he had only been willing to approach us by borrowing Song Tianming’s appearance.

I couldn’t understand what exactly had happened to him.

Why had he helped conceal the aura of the Wriggling Grass and set up this situation?

Was it to lure us here and lay a trap for us? Had he already been assimilated by Chiyou’s people and now wanted to harm us?

But he hadn’t attacked us at all along the way.

What on earth was he trying to do?

Hua Yuling was so agitated that it worsened her injuries. She spat out another huge mouthful of blood and fell unconscious.

I had Lu Lingzhu carry her while I charged back in, intending to find Ji Kang and demand answers.

But to my surprise, I had only taken a few steps when the black mud from the exploded monsters began to churn across the ground. It gathered together again, slowly taking human shape.

Lu Lingzhu panicked.

“We need to get out of here!

“Huahua’s already passed out. Without her, how are the rest of us supposed to deal with these things?”

Seeing that I was still hesitating, Song Feifei hurriedly tried to persuade me too.

“Qiao Moyu, there are still more than twenty lives here!”

My expression hardened, and I stopped in my tracks.

Finding out the truth was important, of course. But compared to the situation right in front of us, human lives mattered more than anything.

“Let’s go.”