"Caw... caw..."
Deep in the mountains and forests, the hoarse, piercing cries of old crows echoed, seeming to mourn the souls of those nearing death.
In the distance, faint sounds of night owls laughing strangely could be heard, like the wails of ghosts and wolves, terrifying and inexplicable. It made the few people walking through the forest shiver with fear. If it weren't for the fact that they were together to boost their courage, no one would dare to come to this place in the dead of night.
This Chaotic Burial Mound not only had heavy Yin Qi and ghostly presences but also occasionally had demon beasts emerging from the mountains.
Because if you went further west past the Chaotic Burial Mound, you would enter the outer regions of Qifeng Mountain. Deep within Qifeng Mountain, there were many demon beasts. Those that lost their turf wars and were driven from the mountains had no choice but to live on the outskirts.
Every year, the three families of Kun City organized several hunting parties to kill demon beasts in the mountains, to prevent them from harming Kun City's residents.
After all, their businesses made up most of the livelihoods in Kun City. If the residents suffered, their businesses would be affected.
Besides them, only a few desperate individuals dared to brave the mountains to collect precious timber and minerals. If they could make it out alive, their gains were usually enough to buy a few acres of land, build three large tiled houses, and marry a beautiful girl.
Unfortunately, the mortality rate for ordinary people entering the mountains was too high, deterring most.
At other times, nobody would pass through here, fearing they might be snatched up by a demon beast.
Qin Feng followed closely behind Qin Yang, walking carefully under the moonlight, his eyes constantly scanning their surroundings, cautious and vigilant.
He tightly gripped the Vajra Talisman given to him by Li Tianchou. If he detected any danger, he would activate it immediately.
Even though this talisman was very valuable, worth at least several dozen spirit stones, he would use it without hesitation if his life were in danger.
After all, his life was worth infinitely more than the talisman.
He could always find a way to get another talisman, but once his life was gone, everything would be truly lost.
He didn't believe he could live a second life, nor did he dare to gamble on it.
Only those who had truly faced death knew how deeply attached they were to life, willing to grasp any chance to survive at all costs.
Cold Yin Wind blew, making the already summer night feel chilled, sending shivers down their spines. The soldiers followed with trembling bodies.
"Damn this weather."
A soldier from the Inspection Department named Chen Hu couldn't help but curse under his breath. No sooner had the words left his mouth than he stumbled over something, falling to the ground. His head hit a protruding tree root, stars dancing before his eyes as he nearly blacked out.
"Watch out!"
"You okay, Hu?"
Several companions immediately inquired, carefully avoiding the spot where Chen Hu had tripped, wary of repeating his mishap.
"Damn it..."
Chen Hu cursed, gingerly touching the bump on his forehead, replying, "I'm fine, just got a bump on my head."
Saying this, he didn't rush to get up but instead groped for the fallen crossbow.
Unexpectedly, he found something completely unforeseen.
Smooth and round, somewhat slippery to the touch. Curious, Chen Hu picked it up and nearly had his soul scared out of him, shaking and almost collapsing on the ground.
It turned out that what he grabbed was a pale, eerie skull.
The skull's hollow eye sockets seemed like bottomless abysses, staring straight at him, with jagged teeth adding to its creepiness.
Chen Hu, being a soldier from the Inspection Department, wasn't normally a coward. If he were, he wouldn't have made it through the gates of the Inspection Department.
But coming to the Chaotic Burial Mound at night to find an Evil Cultivator already had fear gnawing at them, worried they might lose their lives. Now, suddenly seeing himself holding a ghastly skull, being startled was only natural.
Fortunately, he had some self-control and managed to suppress the urge to urinate, avoiding wetting his pants and becoming the butt of jokes among his peers.
Otherwise, the incident would quickly spread throughout the Inspection Department.
Qin Yang, helpless, barked, "What's so fascinating about a skull? There aren't as many bones here as across the way. If you like them, go and find more from the other side of the Chaotic Burial Mound and take them home for a look. Hurry up, if we delay the task, watch out for Lord Li's temper. You can't take a hit from his flying sword."
"Yes, yes, Chief Qin, don't be mad. I'm coming right now."
Recovering, Chen Hu tossed the skull aside, quickly found his crossbow, and rejoined the group.
However, with a large bump on his head, the pain was intense, so they no longer had him leading the way, leaving him at the back to watch their rear.
The area around the Chaotic Burial Mound was quite large. If they walked further, they could even venture deep into the mountains.
The group circled the area within a few miles without any notable findings. Resigned, they headed deeper into the forest.
"Hehehehehehe..."
Suddenly, an eerie laugh came from the forest on their left.
Since they had entered the forest, they occasionally heard night owls laughing.
But earlier, the sounds were distant, which they didn't mind much. This time, the laugh was so close that the suddenness made them jump, almost causing two of the nervous ones to wet themselves.
Chen Hu, at the back, cursed silently, raised his crossbow, and fired an arrow toward the sound.
"Ah..."
A painful, elderly cry came from where the arrow landed, followed by an angry shout, "Who's hiding there shooting dark arrows? Come out if you dare! Let's see if this old Taoist doesn't scatter your soul!"
The group froze upon hearing this. Turning their heads, they saw an old Taoist by a tree twenty yards away, clutching his buttocks and cursing.
The old Taoist held a black long banner, with faintly visible evil spirits and ghosts on its surface. In front of him, a dark mist covered an area of about a hundred yards, obscuring the view.
Chen Hu, feeling frustrated, realized that the eerie laughter wasn't from night owls but from this old Taoist.
How bizarre, he thought, that a person's laugh could sound so spooky and terrifying.
Qin Feng, recognizing the old Taoist, turned pale. Wasn't this the black-robed Taoist they had seen in the day?
He couldn't help but step back quietly, pulling on Qin Yang's sleeve.
Seeing Qin Feng's face, Qin Yang immediately understood that they had encountered the true antagonist.
Spirit light flashed in his eyes as he discreetly activated the Spiritual Eye Technique to glance at the area shrouded in dark mist. Although the dense mist obscured much, he could vaguely see several figures struggling within it.
Without a moment's hesitation, he activated the talisman in his hand.
The talisman rose into the air, bursting into a brilliant flame.
Qin Yang instantly grabbed Qin Feng, turning to run, while also calling out to the other soldiers, "Scatter and run, quick!"
The others, seeing the old Taoist in the distance now airborne and flying towards them, fled in all directions without delay.
"You think you can escape?"
The black-robed Taoist's face darkened, feeling the throbbing pain from his buttocks. Enraged, he swung his long banner, sending several streams of dark mist surging towards them.