Xiaoming and I did not enter through the main gate of the village. Instead, we entered through a humble building at the back of the village. Xianchandaoist went further into the abandoned building and stopped in front of a well. When he opened the lid, a ladder leading down was revealed. It was clearly an artificial construction, so I looked at Xianchandaoist.
"What is this?"
"Perhaps this village was once home to a noble lineage. They must have created this underground passage for escape in case of emergencies. I discovered this secret passage while observing the village."
"Where does this underground passage lead to?"
"It leads to the mansion of a certain scholar-gentry family. Of course, itās now a den of fanatics."
"......"
I could guess what had happened to the noble family that had built the underground passage. They must have been attacked and killed by the fanatics before they could use it. In any case, Xiaoming and I descended and used Huaxiezi to light the oil-soaked torches, then began walking. The underground passage extended for about two li, and after a while, we saw a ladder leading up.
Creak
As we climbed up the ladder, a desolate, ruined room came into view.
'The smell of blood is overwhelming.'
This was a large kitchen well on the outskirts of the mansion. The horrific bloodstains and flesh scattered everywhere gave a sense of the slaughter that had taken place here. I searched for anything valuable and found a small golden statue, which I slipped into my bag.
"This isnāt the time to collect such things. We should hurry and leave before the fanatics discover us."
"Canāt we just take out a few of them?"
"The power of the monsters is too strong to risk such a confrontation. We must not be discovered before we execute our plan."
Swish!
Xiaoming and I used our senses to check the surroundings and left the kitchen. In various parts of the mansion, several fanatics lay dead with their heads crushed, likely from when Xianchandaoist used this passage last time. The clear marks of Wudang martial arts made me look at Xianchandaoist, who cleared his throat.
"There were too many fanatics here. I had to eliminate them to make future use less troublesome."
"I didnāt say anything."
Boom!
As soon as Xianchandaoist saw two fanatic men blocking the passage, he used a palm strike to decapitate them without hesitation. It seemed he had already concluded that there were no normal people left in the village. His ability to completely sever a head with a simple palm strike showed his formidable power.
"Letās hurry. The smell of blood here is too overwhelming."
"......"
As we left the mansion, we saw two or three villagers, who appeared to be fanatics, wandering around with plows and large kitchen knives. Before they noticed us, we quickly hid. Seeing their appearance made my heart race.
'Whatās wrong with these guys? Why are they carrying human heads?'
I understood what Xianchandaoist meant by "madness." One of them was cradling a girlās head lovingly, while another had a middle-aged manās head dangling from his waist. It was a scene unimaginable in the outside world, even by the standards of normal human ethics.
Blood dripped from their heads as they walked, and their blank expressions, searching for prey, were terrifying.
I felt a bit of nausea, but that was all. After all, I had experienced many battles, so I wasnāt easily shaken by such sights. As I observed the fanatics, Xianchandaoist said,
"These people have lost their reason and are completely brainwashed, so communication is impossible. They only move according to the command to kill outsiders. If we encounter them, eliminate them without hesitation."
"Understood."
"By the way, they seem to be strangely immune to pain, so itās best to sever their limbs and heads first."
"......"
I was taken aback by his calmness in suggesting such brutal actions, especially from a renowned Wudang master. However, his words were sincere, and I gradually began to understand that this place was a living hell.
The village was quite prosperous, with many alleys between buildings, making it easy to move quickly and avoid the fanatics. Occasionally, we encountered madmen eating human flesh between walls, and we quickly stomped their heads to burst them. Fanatics would scream bizarrely when they spotted an enemy, so if necessary, we would slash their heads into pieces with our swords.
The village was stained with blood.
Swish!
"Quite challenging."
I complained as I hid in the second floor of a bookstore. Here, we could avoid the fanatics for a while. Xianchandaoist, who followed me using his lightness skill, took out a small bottle from his sleeve and handed it to me.
"This is Zhenglu Shui. Drink some if youāre tired. It helps restore your mental strength."
"Iām fine. But the altar is now in sight."
The altar was about a li away from the bookstore where we were hiding. It was a large stone structure in the central square of the village, with a sacrificial altar for human offerings right below it. This was where the Flute Demon was said to appear.
'The strength of the fanatics is truly formidable. Even I might have my limbs torn if I let my guard down.'
The fanatics didnāt use martial arts but attacked by swinging their limbs and weapons while screaming. However, their strength was incredible. When I had the chance to grab one of their arms earlier, I had to tense my muscles even with my internal energy enhanced.
Each one had the strength of a top warrior!
At that level, tearing a human body apart would be nothing.
Thatās why even a master shouldnāt allow them to get close.
Xianchandaoist looked sharply at the altar and said,
"Remember, if the monster appears, donāt think about fighting. Itās not something a human can handle."
"I understand."
I leaned against the wall and asked,
"If we fail to kill the demon today, what do you plan to do?"
"Hmm... Iāll try to escape, but after that, Iāll have to rely entirely on the government. If I use all my influence, the government troops will eventually move."
"Then why not wait for that from the beginning? Why take such a dangerous risk?"
Xianchandaoist replied with a bitter smile,
"The government troops can suppress the village, but not a single villager will survive."
"Do you think that if we kill the Flute Demon, the villagers will return to normal?"
"Yes. They are victims. Itās unfortunate that they got caught in this nightmare, but itās not a reason for them to die. We must save as many lives as possible."
"......"
I remained silent.
'Isnāt it the same?'
I had witnessed the madness in the village. They had performed countless human sacrifices, parents killing children, siblings killing each other, and lovers eating each other. Even if the fanatics were freed from the Fluteās control, could they live a normal life?
Living might be a terrifying hell for them. Perhaps their current state of mindless domination is more peaceful.
But I didnāt voice these thoughts to Xianchandaoist. We were about to embark on a dangerous plan that required all our focus. Engaging in pointless arguments would only distract us.
Xianchandaoist said,
"The sun will soon be at its zenith."
"Should we get closer?"
"Hmm... Letās approach to within thirty zhang of the altar."
"Alright."
Swish!
Xiaoming and I quickly moved from pavilion to pavilion. The deeper we went into the village, the more pavilions there were, making it easier to infiltrate. Of course, fanatics would suddenly appear from nowhere, wielding axes and knives, but we easily overpowered them and continued forward.
When we reached thirty zhang from the altar, it was clearly visible from the pavilion. I frowned as I examined its form.
"Terrible... Itās completely red."
"Those demonic beings."
Xianchandaoist shuddered. The large altar, originally made of white marble, was now entirely red from the numerous human sacrifices. Fanatics wandered around the altar with dazed expressions, and their numbers were increasing. They seemed to be slowly gathering from all over the village as noon approached.
I was worried.
"It would be better to get closer."
"It might be too risky."
As Xianchandaoist said, this distance seemed to be the maximum. If we stepped outside the building, we would be surrounded by fanatics. We would have to attempt the assassination from this position once the plan began.
At that moment,
Squeakā
A strange sound echoed. Simultaneously, the gazes of the hundreds or thousands of people in the village square focused on one spot. They were all looking at the central altar.
With the attention of so many people, the target finally appeared.
'Is that him?'
The Flute Demon!
A figure in brown robes appeared from behind and slowly ascended the altar. The robes covered the face and most of the body, making it impossible to determine the gender. The figure took out a black flute from its sleeves and began to play.
Squeakā Squeakā
"......"
I found the sound of the flute strange. It wasnāt a specific melody but a thin, ear-piercing noise. This sound wave was used to turn humans into fanatics and control them.
While I could sense the influence of internal energy, it was merely unpleasant to me at this point. As I scratched my ear, Xianchandao