Chapter 372: Chapter 161: The Seductive Holy Daughter Catches Cicadas, The Roast Chicken Sect Master Follows!_3
The branches of the old pagoda tree at the village entrance were strung with dozens of shriveled, headless corpses, both old and young.
On the ground below, a heap of heads was arranged in the shape of a Seven-Star Formation. Rusty iron nails pierced their brow centers, their eyes bulging with resentment, unable to find peace, yet their mouth corners wore an eerie smile.
The air was thick with the stench of decay, green flies buzzing noisily around the bodies.
"Every time the Blood Demon finishes massacring a village, he arranges the corpses like this, as if he’s demonstrating against the court."
Xu Chengbi said in a low voice, "To avoid alerting the snake, the bodies have not been dealt with yet and are left hanging here for the time being..."
Chen Mo remained silent, continuing to ride his horse forward.
As they delved deeper into the mountains, the ghastly scene kept repeating itself.
Everywhere he looked, nearly all the villages were slaughtered to extinction, with as many as a thousand people. The shriveled bodies were stacked like blocks to form a mountain cairn.
The pressure grew increasingly heavy, and the Fire Department Constables’ expressions were extremely unpleasant.
Having served in the Capital City, they were accustomed to prosperity and grandeur, and such a hellish scene gave them a huge shock.
Here, human life seemed as worthless as weeds...
Under her Daoist robe, Ling Ningzhi’s slender hand clenched tightly, her palm imprinted with red marks from the effort, the cold penetrating her black and white eyes.
In just a few short days, so many people had been killed, and the Blood Demon had caused havoc for years. This was just the tip of the iceberg, and the amount of lives taken by his hands was probably beyond count!
What frightened her even more was that such a heinous villain was only ranked seventh on the Heavenly Demon List!
At this moment, she finally had a personal understanding of the "chaotic world" her master spoke of.
Passing through the narrow pass between two mountains and leaving behind the Thousand-foot Stone Screen, the surrounding villages became increasingly sparse.
After traveling dozens of more miles, a roaring sound of water came from ahead, and a turbulent river rushed through the mountains. The swirling muddy water revealed the presence of dangerous reefs below.
"This is the Snake Mother River, a torrent originating deep within the mountains of the Ten Thousand Peaks."
Xu Chengbi pointed to the thick fog on the other side of the river and said, "Beyond the Snake Mother River lies the Sky Miasma Abyss, stretching hundreds of miles, where the Blood Demon has been confirmed to flee deeper into the swamp."
"The Sky Miasma Abyss is shrouded in toxic miasma, making sky flight impossible. Below is a mass of black mud, making progress difficult... This is the best opportunity to apprehend the Blood Demon!"
As Xu Chengbi spoke, his tone became increasingly urgent, and his expression was filled with excitement.
As a Hundred Household Officer of the Tiannan State division, he knew how rare this opportunity was after years of pursuing the Blood Demon!
"The Blood Demon is adept at transformation and should have opportunities to escape. Why did he choose to burrow into this swamp?" Chen Mo furrowed his brow, feeling doubtful.
The Blood Demon had been wreaking havoc in Tiannan for years and should be well aware of the terrain here. The likelihood of panicking and choosing a poor route was low.
Although something felt amiss, having pursued to this point, returning was not an option.
Dragon’s pond or tiger’s lair, once inside, the truth would naturally emerge.
Everyone tethered their horses to the trunks by the riverbank, dashed across the river’s surface, and arrived before the Sky Miasma Abyss, known to be impassable to birds.
In front of them, the dense miasma lingered, the muddy black swamp heaved with bubbles, rotting weeds and decaying banyan trees entwined in the mud, rising and falling unpredictably.
A wrist-thick iron chain was bound to a tree trunk, linking a series of wooden boats, extending deep into the swamp.
"There are spirit plants growing in this swamp; harvesting just one is enough to feed a family for years. Thus, the mountain people use this iron chain and boats as a walkway to avoid getting lost in the fog and miasma," Xu Chengbi explained.
Chen Mo glanced at him, "Hundred Household Officer Xu seems quite familiar with the situation here?"
Xu Chengbi smiled and said, "I came out of the mountains too, muddling around here for years, so I naturally know a few things."
He glanced up at the sky and said, "Mr. Chen, it’s getting late, and when it gets dark, ghost fires will appear in this swamp. It’s very dangerous, so if we want to catch someone, we should act early."
"Makes sense."
Chen Mo lifted his leg to step into the swamp, but just as his toe touched the edge of the mud, he suddenly halted and said, "But I have another question."
Xu Chengbi said, "Go ahead and ask, sir."
"Is Hundred Household Officer Xu a Martial Cultivator?"
"Yes, a Fifth Grade Martial Artist, with a family-transmitted spear technique."
"Oh." Chen Mo nodded, then asked again, "Where is your spear?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Chengbi was momentarily taken aback. He abruptly slapped his forehead and smiled wryly, "Oh, my memory! I was so focused on reporting to you that I left my weapon hanging on my saddle... Please wait a moment, sir, I’ll go and fetch it."
With that, he turned and headed back towards the Snake Mother River.
"Stop."
Thump thump thump—
Just as Chen Mo spoke, footsteps suddenly echoed.
The Fire Department’s people moved like lightning, surrounding Xu Chengbi and several Assistant Officers.
Clang——
The blade unsheathed, with a chilling light radiating in all directions!
The atmosphere became tense in an instant!
Xu Chengbi’s face changed at the sight, "What is the meaning of this, fellow colleagues?"
Qiu Longgang, holding a whip, spoke with a soft but sinister tone, "The Master hasn’t let you go, so you can’t leave."
Xu Chengbi looked up at Chen Mo, frowning, "The Master doesn’t trust me?"
"The Blood Demon is the Seventh Heavenly Demon, with unpredictable power and cunning methods. Even a Third Grade Grandmaster wouldn’t dare be careless in its presence... Yet along the way, your demeanor has been overly relaxed."
"Moreover, as a seasoned Hundred Household Officer, how could you forget to bring your weapon when an encounter could happen at any moment?"
Chen Mo squinted his eyes, scrutinizing him, "The fundamental reason is likely because you don’t know how to use a spear, so you committed such a basic mistake, right?"
Xu Chengbi shook his head and said, "Master, you overthink. It was just a momentary oversight... But that Communication Talisman can’t be faked, right?"
"The Communication Talisman indeed cannot be faked, and I can see that you haven’t been possessed by a demonic entity."
"But that is precisely the biggest problem."
Chen Mo’s eyes were filled with a purple-gold halo, his thumb lightly pushing the guard of the blade, revealing a sliver of cold glint, "The Blood Demon masters the art of metamorphosis and may have already infiltrated the Sky Scale Guard. I cannot risk the lives of my brothers."
"Since you claim it was an oversight, kneel down and let me inspect your Divine Soul."
Xu Chengbi remained silent for a moment, sighed, and slowly prostrated himself on the ground, "As the Master commands, I dare not refuse, only hoping the Master will be quick, lest we delay our business."
Seeing him cooperate so well, Chen Mo’s gaze turned even colder, lifting his chin to signal.
Qiu Longgang stepped forward, preparing to apprehend the others first.
But at that moment, the iron chains nearby suddenly shook.
Clatter——
Everyone turned their heads and saw the mire churning, and a monstrous crocodile, entirely black and two zhang long, suddenly lunged, jaws wide open to devour!
"Watch out!"
A General drew his sword and struck, the blade landing on the crocodile scales, sparking a shower of sparks, unable to harm it at all!
As the jaws were about to bite him in two——
Swish——
A brilliant blade light flashed, splitting the massive body in half, black blood pouring down like torrential rain.
Chen Mo, holding the Broken Jade Blade, looked solemnly at the depths of the swamp, where the black mud boiled like hot water, and countless crocodile heads slowly emerged, yellow vertical pupils fixed on the crowd.
"These are the Mo Lin Crocodiles unique to the Sky Miasma Abyss, with skin tough as refined iron. Swords and blades can’t harm them in the slightest. Entering their territory means it’s not that easy to leave." Xu Chengbi lay on the ground, saying faintly.
Qiu Longgang said coldly, "Why didn’t you say this earlier?"
"I didn’t expect Mr. Chen to have such keen eyes. I originally thought a little deception would suffice..." Xu Chengbi shook his head helplessly.
"Qingxuan, the crocodiles are yours to handle."
Without hesitation, Chen Mo flickered and spun, the Broken Jade Blade in his hand drawing a mysterious arc, aiming straight at Xu Chengbi’s throat!
No hesitation, kill first and talk later!
Xu Chengbi made no intent to resist, his eyes full of mockery, letting the Sword Qi pour over him.
Swish——
The head flew high, yet not a drop of fresh blood spilled.
Crack——
Then, accompanied by a chilling sound, Xu Chengbi’s form twisted, his spine bending at eerie angles.
Soon, a new head squeezed out from within his chest cavity.
Then the limbs...
Hands and feet broke through flesh, as if shedding a layer of skin like clothing.
The person had a thin, weak frame like a child, with sunken cheeks and pale skin, his tiny eyes glowing with a sinister light.
"As expected of the Martial Arts Champion, your foresight is remarkable. I was hoping to save myself some trouble." His voice was husky and low, chilling to the heart.
Chen Mo’s heart sank heavily.
No wonder the Golden Eyes of Truth didn’t detect anything unusual; it wasn’t possession but hiding directly within Xu Chengbi’s body?!