Chapter 277
Chapter 277
At seven that evening, the last car pulled to a steady stop at the foot of the mountain. A man stepped out, dressed in coarse black linen robes and black knee-high boots, with a conical hat on his head.
At first glance, he looked like a wandering knight-errant from ancient times.
But a closer look revealed that every part of his attire had been carefully chosen.
Though his outer robe was made of linen, the turned-out collar revealed exceptionally tough silk threads woven into the fabric. When the headlights struck them, some reflected a silvery-white gleam.
Around his neck hung a pangolin claw the size of a thumb.
There was no telling how old the claw was. Years of handling had polished it smooth and rounded, and its tip was capped with a piece of bronze engraved with talismanic inscriptions.
What drew my attention most, however, was the Vajra Umbrella in his hand.
Though it was closed and looked like a sheathed sword, I could still make out the patterns of the Eight Trigrams between its overlapping ribs.
Those two items alone were enough to reveal his identity.
He was the Descendant of the Gold-Touching Captains whom Fang Chuanzong had transferred over from the organization.
Once he came to a stop, he lifted his conical hat, revealing slicked-back hair combed meticulously into place.
He looked to be in his forties. Tall and straight-backed, he carried himself with an impressive bearing. His muscular build made it clear that he exercised regularly.
After exchanging greetings with Fang Chuanzong, he lowered the hat over his face again, maintaining his air of mystery.
The rain fell harder and harder, and faint rumbles of thunder rolled across the distant horizon.
According to Liu Junyan’s prediction, the Three-Eyed Toad was supposed to Undergo a Tribulation tonight. It seemed the first signs had already appeared.
Just then, one of Hui Yumo’s subordinates sent word that something had happened in the nearest town.
Hui Moqiong immediately frowned. “Didn’t Seventh Master warn Elder Fang? Didn’t he say the relevant authorities were already evacuating the villagers? How could something still have happened?”
I waved a hand, motioning for him to stay calm, then asked Hui Yumo, “Were there any casualties?”
“The six surrounding villages were evacuated overnight, but there was too little time and too many people. On top of that, they were only told that the downpour might cause flooding. Although the villagers cooperated, they were unwilling to go too far. Almost all of them gathered in the two nearest towns.
“The livestock in four of those six villages were raided. The culprit only took their hearts.
“Of the two nearest villages, one sits along the river. That thing may have followed the riverbank there. It caught everyone off guard and snatched a little girl. By the time our people chased after it…”
Hui Yumo paused and drew a long breath before forcing out the rest. “The little girl’s body was recovered from the river. Her chest… was covered in blood. There was nothing left inside.”
“That beast!”
Hui Moqiong cursed under his breath. Hui Xiaotiao immediately turned to leave.
Hui Yumo grabbed him. “Xiao Tiao, where are you going?”
“That thing won’t stop now,” Hui Xiaotiao said. “It succeeded once, so it’ll definitely try the same thing again. I remember that river. I used to swim in it all the time as a child. I’ll take some men and guard it.”
Hui Yumo looked worried, but Liu Junyan said, “Let Xiao Tiao go.”
Hui Xiaotiao cupped his fists. “Xiao Tiao accepts the order!”
With that, he hurried off.
He was so thin that his figure was quickly swallowed by the darkness and the curtain of rain. Hui Yumo’s eyes were filled with concern.
Whether he was concerned for his younger sister or worried about Hui Xiaotiao, Hui Moqiong said, “I should guard the river instead. I said I’d have that kid’s back.”
Liu Junyan replied, “Right. You need to guard the river too — downstream from Xiao Tiao.”
Hui Moqiong froze. “Huh?”
Liu Junyan’s vertical pupils contracted sharply. “If this hadn’t happened, we might have completely overlooked something,” he said. “If I remember correctly, the river running through Chang City connects to the Zhu Pan River, right?”
That one remark jolted us all awake.
Hui Moqiong immediately found a map. After studying it for a while, he discovered that the river in Chang City was indeed located upstream of the Zhu Pan River.
This was a massive vulnerability.
We even suspected that the group whose members held the title of Great Lama might have used this waterway when transporting their convoy of corpses from Niuhu Mountain to the Ancient Battlefield.
He knew this waterway far too well. If he found himself cornered, he could very well use it to escape.
Even more frighteningly, all of us had come to Chang City, leaving only Li Qingying and the others to guard Wufu Town.
The Seal in the Zhu Pan River still held Chen Ping and his Ghost Soldiers.
If the situation in Chang City affected Wufu Town…
The consequences would be unthinkable.
We immediately had to revise our entire plan. Hui Xiaotiao would guard the stretch of Riverside beside the town, while Hui Moqiong would watch the downstream area.
The next moment, Liu Junyan turned to me.
The instant our eyes met, my heart lurched, and I instinctively asked, “What are you doing?”
“Xiao Jiu, go back to Wufu Town tonight,” Liu Junyan said. “You exhausted yourself last night and still haven’t recovered. I wasn’t planning to let you take action again tonight anyway. This works out perfectly. I’ll have someone escort you back to Wufu Town right now.”
I refused at once. “I’m not leaving.”
Liu Junyan tried to persuade me. “Xiao Jiu, don’t be stubborn. Wufu Town needs you.”
“Ah Yan, if all of us fail to hold the Ancient Battlefield in Chang City tonight, what do you think I could possibly protect by going back to Wufu Town?” I said firmly. “I’d rather stay in Chang City and stand or fall with you.”
Liu Junyan had no answer.
I ignored him.
I knew he didn’t truly want me to go back and guard Wufu Town. He only wanted to keep me safe.
But when the nest is overturned, how can any egg remain intact?
I began making call after call, contacting Li Qingying, Tang Tang, and Yu Nian in turn and telling them to make preparations as quickly as possible.
Especially Yu Nian.
If we couldn’t hold the line here, then over on her side… the odds would be heavily against her.
I wasn’t particularly worried about Li Qingying.
For one thing, the Pawnshop itself was protected by a Formation. Ordinary Dirty Things couldn’t enter the Pawnshop.
For another, the Black Cat, the Red Banner Child, and the others were still inside.
Third, Li Qingying was sharp. The moment she received the news, she would contact Lord Xiao.
Although Lord Xiao was currently confined and seemingly had no freedom, Liu Junyan had said that as long as Lord Xiao wished it, he could mobilize his subordinates even from confinement.
Lord Xiao wouldn’t simply stand by and do nothing.
By the time I finished making all the arrangements, it was around nine o’clock.
The muffled rumble of thunder on the horizon drew steadily closer.
We had informed Fang Chuanzong as soon as we heard that something had happened over at the town, and he immediately sent people to guard another town.
But with so many people gathered together, the bad news spread like wildfire, throwing everyone into a panic.
Even with guards stationed around the outskirts, some Townsfolk and villagers still slipped away, hoping to flee for their lives to towns farther away.
As a result, several more people fell victim one after another.
When their bodies were found, without exception, their chests were hollow where their hearts should have been.
Fang Chuanzong was at his wits’ end. He personally came to find Liu Junyan. “Seventh Master Liu, we can’t wait any longer. If we do, more people will die. And once the people riot…”
He shook his head slightly, his tone turning unexpectedly forceful. “Seventh Master Liu, let’s act ahead of schedule. Use the Golden Scale to lure out the Three-Eyed Toad, and I’ll lead my men in handling the aftermath…”