The shades of twilight converged as the surrounding mountains, dark as spilled ink, tightly enclosed the nameless village within the valley. It was as if a giant beast had opened its hideous maw, ready to swallow the village whole.
Regardless of age or gender, the villagers emerged from their homes one by one, forming a silent line that headed toward the back mountain. After winding through the paths several times, they finally stopped at a certain location.
A short while later, several people with bound hands and feet were pulled out from an ancestral grave. The procession then continued deeper into the mountain forest.
Gu Qingyun had excellent eyesight and provided a live description of the scene to the constables beside her. Several hot-tempered constables spat in disgust.
“Those bastards really know how to hide people. Who would’ve thought they’d stash them in an ancestral grave? No matter how hard we searched, we wouldn’t have been deranged enough to go digging up graves. We could have turned this entire forest upside down and never found them.”
“That’s enough, stop grumbling. Follow them quietly. Don’t get caught. Let’s see where they’re going. When the opportunity arises, we’ll rescue Zhang Yutang and the others.”
When she saw the villagers stop a few hundred meters from a small temple, Gu Qingyun’s expression darkened.
A circular sacrificial altar stood in the center, and Zhang Yutang and the others were tied to wooden frames. Torches were lit all around, and the villagers knelt devoutly in the direction of the temple.
...
In the middle of the altar, Zhang Yutang was sobbing, tears streaming down his face. He struggled to turn his head toward his brothers beside him.
“Brother Shen, Brother Wen, I didn’t expect that while we weren’t born on the same day, we’d end up dying on the same day. Let’s be good brothers again in our next life.
“It seems my luck is just terrible. My father hasn’t sent anyone to save me yet. My family line is going to end with me. I’m so sorry to have dragged you two into this calamity.”
Shen Qinghe looked helplessly at his classmate, who still had the heart to joke even at death's door, and let out a sigh.
“Enough, I don’t blame you. Didn’t I become friends with you because of your kind heart? This disaster must be our destiny. I only feel sorry for my parents and my siblings back home.”
“Indeed,” Wen Zhiyuan added. “If it weren't for our families’ full support and the care you usually show us, Brother Yutang, we might have given up our studies long ago. We never would have made it to the prefectural city to study.
“The only ones to blame are these villains for destroying people's faith in kindness. If I truly escape this, who would dare to step forward to help anyone else they meet on the road in the future?”
Wen Zhiyuan stared fixedly at the villagers below the altar.
“I have to remember these people’s faces. Even as a ghost, I won’t let them off.”
Zhang Yutang was dazed for a moment before shaking his head to clear his tears.
“Me too. I won’t let them off either.”
Listening to the conversation between the three, Gu Qingyun’s mouth twitched. Wait, brothers, you’re about to lose your lives and you’re still thinking about all that? Should I praise you for being thick-skinned or just weirdly calm?
She scanned her surroundings and her gaze happened to meet Lu Hu’s. He also wore an indescribable expression. Gu Qingyun raised an eyebrow. It seemed this man was just as Bai Fan had described—he truly was an inner strength master.
...
Wu Kui walked onto the sacrificial altar, looked at the crowd below, and shouted sternly,
“The hour has come! Present the sacrifices! Worship the Mountain God!”
Just as the villagers were bowing, Head Constable Liu led Gu Qingyun and the others as they leapt out from the forest and onto the altar. They unsheathed their sabers and surrounded Zhang Yutang and the others to protect them.
“I’d like to see who dares!”
Gu Qingyun took the opportunity to cut the ropes binding the men and said directly,
“Stay put when the fighting starts. Don’t run around, or you might get hurt by accident.”
Zhang Yutang was in tears again. “I knew it! Our time isn't up! Once I get back, I’ll make sure my father rewards you handsomely. You’ve saved his only son!”
Gu Qingyun had no time to deal with him and turned to face the crowd below.
The villagers looked up sharply at the altar. Seeing the sacrifices being untied, their faces twisted with rage as they howled,
“Put the sacrifices down this instant! The Mountain God is coming! He will be furious, and you will all die!”
Head Constable Liu sneered. “Stop trying to delude people with your nonsense. Not a single person from this village is getting away. You’re all going to the jailhouse.”
Wu Kui roared, “Villagers! Don’t waste your breath on these government dogs! Today, it’s either them or us! Kill them and offer them all to the Mountain God!”
The villagers were filled with a fanatical frenzy. They grabbed hoes and axes, ready to risk their lives against Gu Qingyun and the constables. However, as they looked toward the Mountain God temple, their faces suddenly went pale.
“The Mountain God is angry! He’s come out! Everyone, run!”
The villagers, who had been fanatical just a moment ago, turned and fled down the mountain. The sacrifices and the village chief’s orders were completely forgotten in their desperate scramble to survive.
Gu Qingyun’s ears flicked. She turned slightly toward the temple. A massive serpent head slowly emerged from the Mountain God temple, its body crushing the ground as it slithered, making a dull, rustling sound.
The hissing sound from the tip of its tongue made one's skin crawl. The snake was still several hundred meters from the altar, but the stench it emitted was already overwhelming, making everyone gag.
All the constables held their breath, their knuckles turning white from gripping their sabers so tightly.
Gu Qingyun tightened her grip on her own blade, her voice low. “Uncle Liu, Uncle Wu, take Zhang Yutang and the others and leave. I’ll hold off this snake.”
“The other constables should do the same. Don't stay here; you’re not its match.”
Head Constable Liu grew anxious and shouted, “No! It’s just a big snake. I’m not that old yet. I refuse to believe I can’t beat a snake!”
Gu Qingyun was speechless. “Uncle Liu, stop being stubborn. Look at how big that thing is. It has clearly attained a spirit essence. I have no idea how strong its constriction is, but it could swallow you in one bite. Stop wasting time and get out of here!”
Seeing that the giant serpent was about to reach the altar, Gu Qingyun ignored Uncle Liu and the others as they ran down the mountain. She composed herself and circulated her cultivation technique. Spiritual power flowed through her blade, radiating a chilling aura capable of slaying evil and dispelling malice.
Before she could strike, Lu Hu, who was not far away, tapped the ground lightly and charged straight toward the giant snake.
His heavy blade collided with the serpent’s scales, sending out ear-piercing sparks and leaving a single wound on its body.
A counter-shock traveled up the hilt of his blade, causing the webbing of Lu Hu’s thumb and forefinger to split. His internal energy churned, and a mouthful of blood welled up in his throat, which he forced himself to swallow back down.
The giant snake recoiled in pain and swung its tail frantically. The tail whipped toward Lu Hu with a sound that broke the air. If it hit him squarely, he would be heavily injured if not killed.
Gu Qingyun moved rapidly in front of him and threw a punch. The giant snake’s tail was knocked off course, sweeping through the surrounding trees and knocking down a whole section of the forest.
Lu Hu’s eyes widened slightly. Head Constable Liu had told him she was strong, but he hadn't expected her to be this powerful. He wondered if his own master possessed such strength.
Gu Qingyun didn’t look back. “Go. This snake has become a spirit; you can’t handle it. Go help Uncle Liu and the others capture the villagers. Don't let them escape.”
After saying that, she swung her blade and charged head-on toward the giant snake, which was hissing sharply with its mouth wide open. The two engaged in a fierce battle, and the trees surrounding them suffered as they were toppled one after another.
Lu Hu clutched his chest and coughed lightly. He shouted toward her, “Constable Gu, you must come back alive!”
He gave her back one last look before speeding down the mountain. His master was right—there was always someone stronger out there. He hadn't expected to find a constable even more powerful than himself. He refused to give up; he just had to work harder at his martial arts.
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