Chapter 237
From his high perch, Su Bei looked down, the people below like ants. Jiang Tianming’s group had positioned themselves on the north road—some stood as roadblocks, others hid behind rocks to act as needed, and one was in the village to report news.
This setup made it impossible for villagers to secretly complete the array in the north. Realizing this after brief observation, they sent the Village Head to negotiate.
“Tianming, why’re you all lingering here? Did you lose something?” the Village Head asked kindly, as if just helping.
Jiang Tianming shook his head, using a prepared excuse: “We’re doing school research on this road’s geology.”
Schoolwork stumped the Village Head. He asked: “How many days?”
“Two,” Jiang Tianming said, timing it perfectly. The village was far from the city—cinnabar buyers might return tomorrow. Two days ensured they’d finish the chicken blood array without giving the Village Head a chance.
His face darkened, troubled: “Must it be this road? Other spots are good for research too. We’re planning renovations here—the crew’s ready. Can’t delay them.”
“No problem, we’ll cover delay costs,” Li Shu smiled. Ability users were rich—a few thousand or even tens of thousands was nothing.
This choked the Village Head: “That’s not what I mean… Must it be this spot?”“We’ve started. Switching would waste time,” Jiang Tianming replied.
After a pause, the Village Head nodded, saying no more: “Alright, but don’t stay up too late studying. Health is key.”
His words revealed his intent—he planned to make the array at night. But Jiang Tianming’s group wouldn’t let that happen.
Bored on the tree, Su Bei used an Invisibility Charm and headed to the Village Head’s. Might as well check on the Life Stone.
The Life Stone was in the Village Head’s cellar. Knowing this from Jiang Tianming, Su Bei faced no obstacles.
In the cellar, the Life Stone matched the photo—a plain rock, about half a washing machine’s size.
Not large for a Life Stone. Su Bei knew some in the Nightmare Beast world were wall-sized, with far stronger effects.
But Old Ancestor’s was impressive, increasing an entire village's longevity. A massive one would’ve been impossible to hide here for years.
As he prepared to leave, the Village Head’s family came down. Su Bei slipped into a corner, activating his Ability just in case.
Though the four couldn’t beat him together, preparation was wise to avoid chaos if something unexpected happened.
To his shock, his precaution paid off—he noticed a Destiny Compass above the Life Stone!
Was it alive?!
Stunned, Su Bei ignored their conversation, cautiously approaching the stone. It showed no signs of life, leaving him puzzled.
If it was alive, his meteorite theory was moot—meteorites couldn’t live, especially not as exploded dust.
He checked his Life Stone fragment necklace with his Ability—no Destiny Compass, clearly lifeless.
Focusing again, Su Bei realized he’d overthought. The Life Stone couldn’t have a compass—it was indestructible, so the death pointer belonged to someone else.
Something alive was attached to it. Ruling out the stone itself, Su Bei knew who it was.
Barring surprises, it was Old Ancestor’s Destiny Compass—his soul was on the Life Stone.
His death was witnessed by villagers and the gravedigger, who dealt with bodies regularly. If they saw no issue, his body was truly dead.
But the Life Extension Array required a near-dead recipient, not a dead one. Old Ancestor had a trick, and attaching to the Life Stone ensured it stayed in the array’s range.
Su Bei treated it as a minor twist—he couldn’t mess with the plot, or how would the comic author survive?
Back on the tree at night, Jiang Tianming’s group stealthily took their positions, using darkness and Li Shu’s Ability to hide, ready to thwart the Village Head’s plan.
Soon, the Village Head arrived with a group, torches lit. Two burly men led, one holding the Life Stone. An elderly woman, the “sacrifice,” was between them.
She didn’t resist—likely having been convinced. But the group stayed vigilant, wary of slip-ups.
As they reached the road, Jiang Tianming’s group emerged: “Village Head, what’re you doing?”
“...?” Startled, the Village Head paused, then asked: “Why’re you here?”
Jiang Tianming smiled primly: “We got inspired and came to finish our homework. We’re pulling an all-nighter. Don’t worry, young folks can handle one night—we’ll sleep it off later.”
Village Head: “…”
He wasn’t worried—he was having a heart attack!
“But we’ve got business here. Can you delay a day?” With no choice, the Village Head dropped his kind facade, speaking sternly.
“Speaking of, what’re you all up to?” Li Shu asked curiously, half-joking: “Looks like a private execution.”
Zhou Zijian chimed in: “No way! Hurting people’s a crime. Our villagers are honest—they wouldn’t break the law.”
He knew about the Life Stone. Though tempted by longevity, reason won. Even if he sided with the villagers, he couldn’t beat Jiang Tianming’s group. Better to help the government—maybe he would be able to plead for the villagers later.
It would be tough—they’d killed three. The law might spare a crowd, but the crime was heinous. He couldn’t imagine their punishment. Longevity was a seductive lure, turning his honest uncles and aunties into killers of their own.
The Village Head’s face darkened, less noticeable at night: “Hurt people? No way. It’s just… just…”
Struggling for an excuse, he stalled. A quick-witted young man behind him spoke: “Grandma Chen says her time’s near and wants to be buried here. We’re checking the spot.”
He turned to her: “Right, Grandma Chen?”
Head bowed, more hunched, she murmured: “Right…”
Satisfied, the man turned: “It’s our custom, not convenient for outsiders. Could you…?”
His meaning was clear—if they were just students, they’d take the hint and leave.
But knowing the truth, Jiang Tianming’s group wouldn’t budge. The tension was palpable; no words would keep them here now.
“Go,” Jiang Tianming ordered. The three, plus Zhou Zijian, rushed the villagers.
Ability users’ physical prowess far exceeded normal people's, and with Abilities, in ten minutes, all villagers were tightly bound.
The Village Head, shocked and confused, said: “What’re you doing? Xiao Jian, we watched you grow up. You can’t turn on the village now that you’re successful!”
“You’re the ones obsessed,” Zhou Zijian said, exasperated. “Think we don’t know how those three died? I can’t let you keep making mistakes.”
“What? How… Wait, who are you?” The Village Head realized something was off. Jiang Tianming’s group weren’t ordinary students—Zhou Zijian wouldn’t bring them otherwise.
Jiang Tianming didn’t hide: “We’re Ability users, here to investigate. We’ve uncovered your killings to keep the treasure.”
The Village Head’s face turned ashen. In just two days, their secrets were exposed. He knew their village’s future was bleak.
With no choice, he played the emotional card, tears streaming: “Xiao Jian, I regret it! I shouldn’t have risked it for longevity. But you know, those people were willing—I didn’t force them.”
Zhou Zijian saw through his plea: “Uncle, I’m not with these Ability users. I can’t help you.”
He might’ve if he could, but he couldn’t. He continued: “This stone’s critical. If its aura leaks, not just our village but the whole area could be flattened by Nightmare Beasts.”
Hearing the treasure’s danger, the Village Head felt fear but doubted: “It’s been here so long without issue.”
“Because Old Ancestor was here—he was an Ability user!” Zhou Zijian said, head aching. He hadn’t expected Old Ancestor’s secret or the villagers’ bold killings.
Now, he regretted reporting it. Solving it quietly might’ve lost the Life Stone but spared the village jail.
The young man from before spoke up: “If this treasure could destroy everything, doesn’t sealing it make up for our crimes?”
Excited, he continued: “No, not make up—we killed to seal it after Old Ancestor, to protect everyone. We had no choice!”
The group nearly laughed at his shamelessness. Jiang Tianming asked calmly: “Old Ancestor told you not to touch it and gave a number to call if you did. With two options, why choose the third—killing?”
The man, caught off guard, stammered: “We… we…”
After faltering, he gave up: “Our actions were good at heart. Even if judged, it should be lenient, right?”
That was possible. A good lawyer might spin their killings as protective, reducing punishment.
But knowing they hadn’t thought that way during the murders, letting them use it to escape justice was infuriating.
Before Li Shu could mock, Jiang Tianming’s phone rang. It was Lei Ze’en. After consulting friends, they’d found the human blood array’s purpose.
Reading it, Li Shu smiled kindly: “Sorry to disappoint, but this array revives Old Ancestor, it doesn't seal anything. No escaping blame with that.”
“Revive Old Ancestor?” The Village Head was baffled, as were the villagers.
Li Shu cheerfully explained the array’s role: extending life, not hiding auras. It extended the life of whoever gave it to them—Old Ancestor.
Only now did they realize Old Ancestor tricked them. They killed and worked, only to lose their lives, not gain longevity.
To Su Bei, they deserved it. Old Ancestor was selfish, setting a trap with their greed. But he gave them options—they just didn’t choose them.
As everyone but Su Bei thought it was over, ready to take the Village Head away, the unbound “sacrifice” grandma’s eyes flashed with resolve. She pulled a fruit knife, slashed her wrist, and lunged onto the road.
“Cui Xia, what’re you doing!” the Village Head shouted. “You don’t need to die now!”
Her face paled from blood loss, but her expression wasn’t weak—it glowed: “Don’t need to die? Now you’re begging me not to!”
Unlike her earlier calm or resignation, her eyes burned with hatred and vengeful glee: “If sending you to jail only gets you a light sentence, I’d rather die here with you all.”
“Grandma, you…” Ling You, rarely speaking, frowned, trying to say something.
But the grandma cut her off: “I know you’re good kids. Get out—don’t get caught in this array. He said if I bleed here, it’ll form. You can’t stop me.”
Ling You noticed the blood from her wrist forming a pattern on the ground—the human blood array’s outline, unmistakable.
Jiang Tianming saw it first, wondering if stopping her bleeding would help, when he heard her words.
He looked up sharply: “‘He’? Grandma, who told you this?”
“Old Ancestor. I know his voice,” she said, unconcerned. “He whispered I’d revive him.”
She slumped weakly, the array still drawing her blood. Only half remained to complete it.
Meanwhile, the villagers felt their bodies weaken, something draining them, worsening their state.
They had to stop her. The villagers were hateful, but they shouldn’t die this way to fuel someone’s gain.
Jiang Tianming rushed forward, restraining her, applying a healing Ability user’s bandage from his storage ring. It could stop most bleeding.
But a translucent, soul-like man appeared, tore off the bandage, and kicked Jiang Tianming away.
From his tree, Su Bei laughed, glancing at his recording phone, grinning wider. Good footage—perfect for group chats or blackmailing Jiang Tianming for homework.
That was likely Old Ancestor. Seeing the final piece of the array stopped, he panicked, acting as a soul to interfere.
But it made sense. Entering the Nightmare Beast world, taking the Life Stone, and escaping unscathed meant he was a strong Ability user.
Su Bei understood him a bit. Living secluded for longevity must’ve been stifling. Learning he’d only live longer, not forever, after years of effort would twist anyone.
From his perch, Su Bei watched Jiang Tianming’s group fight Old Ancestor’s shadow. Its glitch was that it could touch others, but they couldn’t touch it.
Li Shu’s Ability affected Old Ancestor, but his Mental Energy was weaker, so the impact was small. Only Jiang Tianming could touch him, but he couldn’t win.
Ling You proved crucial, using a soul-targeting virus. She infected Jiang Tianming, who, enduring soul pain, passed it to Old Ancestor.
Old Ancestor writhed in agony, unable to stop them from bandaging the grandma. But it was too late—the blood sufficed. In a minute, the array would complete, activating the Life Extension Array, killing all the villagers.
“Tell us how to stop it, or even if you revive, this virus stays,” Jiang Tianming said, inspired to threaten.
It might not be true, but only Ling You knew, and she wouldn’t contradict him.
Frightened, Old Ancestor didn’t want to revive in torment. He pointed at Ling You: “Promise you won’t use your Ability on me after I answer.”
Ling You pursed her lips: “If you tell the truth.”
Old Ancestor smiled, answering: “Kill my body before the array activates. Without a user, it dissipates.”
On the tree, Su Bei smiled too. Wasn’t that his specialty?