It wasn't long before the former king quietly slipped away from the group, heading deeper into the distant forest.
The short, pudgy cultivator, who had mocked him earlier, opened his eyes and glanced in the direction the former king had left. Turning to the tall, thin cultivator beside him, he whispered in confusion, "Where's he going?"
The tall cultivator had also noticed the departure but did not open his eyes. In a low voice, he replied, "Who cares? If he doesn't go into the cave, he's as good as dead. Without the Grandmaster and us, with his weak cultivation, he's nothing but a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. Let him go."
As Lin Xiao and Fang Tuantu entered the borders of Huyang Village, they immediately sensed the lingering heat of the recent battle.
They arrived at Xinyang County, the town where rumors of the plague had spread. The town's walls were half-collapsed, and the streets were lined with remnants of the destruction—the charred remains of buildings and debris everywhere.
Young men were hard at work, carrying bricks and wood, rebuilding the walls and roofs. The elderly, women, and children had gathered in a large shelter at the center of the town. The women prepared meals in front of makeshift clay stoves, while the children, oblivious to the recent terror, played happily nearby. It had been half a month since the fighting ended, and the children had already forgotten their tears and screams from when they had cowered in their parents' arms.
As Lin Xiao and Fang Tuantu walked through the scorched town, no one paid them any attention. Spotting a woman carrying two large baskets of food, Lin Xiao approached her, bowing politely.
"Auntie, sorry to trouble you. Could you tell me which way leads to Huyang Village?"
The woman turned her head, her eyes lighting up at the sight of Lin Xiao's handsome face. She smiled warmly and, putting down her baskets, raised her hand to point south.
"You're asking the right person! My family's not far from Huyang Village. Just head straight south from here. Once you leave town, take the smallest, most worn path. Follow it to the end, and you'll reach the village."
Lin Xiao glanced in the direction she pointed, then smiled, thanking her. "Thank you, Auntie!"
With Fang Tuantu in tow, Lin Xiao began walking south. Behind them, the woman called out, her voice full of concern, "Don't forget! If you see a fork in the road, take the smallest, dirtiest path! Remember!"
"We will! Thank you again, Auntie!"
Her voice faded in the wind as Lin Xiao and Fang Tuantu moved further away. Once outside the town, Lin Xiao picked up Fang Tuantu and quickened his pace toward Huyang Village.
This was the village where Qin Jianghe had mentioned a possible plague outbreak. Following the woman's directions, Lin Xiao chose the worst paths at each fork, until, half an hour later, he finally spotted signs of human habitation in the barren wilderness.
The closer they got, the more Lin Xiao's instincts warned him that something was wrong. Fang Tuantu's fur stood on end, bristling in alarm.
"Meow..."
"You feel it too?"
The further they ventured, the more familiar the sensation became. It was eerily similar to the aura he had encountered in the Destruction Stone mines—but there was something different.
This energy wasn't as overpowering or aggressive as the Destruction Stone aura. Nor did it recklessly drain the surrounding spiritual energy. The plants and trees still appeared alive, with no large-scale withering or decay. Yet, the atmosphere around them was unsettling.
Even stranger, this aura didn't seem to have a clear source. It hung in the air, permeating everything without a definite origin.
As they approached the village, still some distance from the entrance, a middle-aged man with a medicine box slung over his shoulder came toward them, shaking his head and muttering under his breath. Behind him, several disappointed villagers trailed away, returning to the village.
"Monster illness? What nonsense, making me come all the way here just to waste my time!" the man grumbled.
Though his voice was low and the distance considerable, Lin Xiao heard him clearly. Sensing an opportunity, he walked up to the man and called out, "Excuse me, sir. Is this the way to Huyang Village?"
Startled by the sudden appearance of Lin Xiao, the man glanced around, taking in the young man's clean, well-dressed appearance. He noticed there were no adults accompanying him. Waving his hand dismissively, he said, "Young man, what are you doing in this cursed place? Huyang Village is no good. You should leave before you get infected with bad luck!"
Lin Xiao, feigning confusion, asked, "Actually, sir, my family has distant relatives here. Recently, our business hasn't been doing well, and a fortune teller advised us to reconnect with our kin. So, I've come to visit. But what do you mean by your warning?"
The man paused, studying Lin Xiao again before pulling him aside, speaking in a lowered voice, "Listen, boy, you should head back home. This village—your relatives, if they're still here, might not be long for this world. The entire village might not last much longer!"
Lin Xiao pressed further, "Why is that?"
With a shake of his head, the man continued, "It's the old folks in the village! They're turning into something worse than sick—they're practically becoming ghosts! I'm the doctor for this area, and people come from all around to see me for serious illnesses."
"I first heard rumors of widespread illness in Huyang Village, and I thought it was just seasonal colds with the changing weather. The village sent two young men to fetch me every few days, and I finally had time to come and help."
"But when I got there… I realized it wasn't an illness—it was something much worse!"
"You should have seen the state of the elderly there. Their eyes were nearly falling out of their heads!"
"I suspect the village has been cursed by wandering spirits after the recent war. It's best to steer clear!"
The man had dragged Lin Xiao some distance from the village, and at a crossroad, Lin Xiao thanked him for his concern and said, "Thank you, sir. I'll head home right away."
"Good, good," the doctor said, waving Lin Xiao off as he hurried away.
Once the man was out of sight, Lin Xiao concealed his aura and, with Fang Tuantu in his arms, circled back toward Huyang Village.
From the outskirts, the village looked peaceful, even tranquil. The nearby plants, while not particularly lush, seemed healthy enough, though they bore a faint sense of weakness, as if they were withering from within.
Strangely, there were no sounds of chickens or dogs, typical of a rural village. Instead, every now and then, Lin Xiao heard weary sighs drifting through the air.
He chose not to enter the village immediately but instead circled around its perimeter. Huyang Village was small, with only about twenty households. As he walked the perimeter, Lin Xiao found nothing out of the ordinary, nor did he see any traces of Destruction Stones. However, the eerie, lingering aura remained constant, swirling through the area without a clear source.
Realizing that time was of the essence, Lin Xiao knew he needed to act quickly. His priority now was to ensure the villagers left the area before the strange energy caused more harm.