The jovial atmosphere of the bar quickly dissipated as the sudden uproar from the outside world pierced through the walls. The cheerful chatter and laughter faded into an unsettling silence, replaced by shouts of fear and confusion.
Li Shen, Jiang Tao, and Chen exchanged concerned glances before springing to their feet and making their way to the door. As they stepped outside, the scene before them sent a chill down Li Shen's spine.
A crowd had gathered in the village square, murmurs of panic rippling through the onlookers. At the center lay an unconscious old lady, her frail body covered in gruesome bite marks. Her skin was pale, and blood trickled from the wounds, pooling on the cobblestones beneath her. The sight was horrifying; villagers stepped back, their faces a mix of fear and concern.
**Li Shen:** *"What happened?"* he called out, pushing through the throng of terrified faces.
One of the villagers, a woman with tear-streaked cheeks, stepped forward, her voice trembling.
**Villager:** *"She was attacked! A monster came from the forest! It bit her and… and then it just vanished!"*
Li Shen's heart raced as he knelt beside the old lady, checking for signs of life. He could feel the warmth of her body but sensed she was barely hanging on.
**Jiang Tao:** *"We need to get her help!"*
Chen glanced around, trying to gather more information.
**Chen:** *"Did anyone see what attacked her? Was it a beast? A person?"*
The villagers exchanged frightened glances, whispers spreading like wildfire.
**Villager:** *"It was like nothing we've ever seen! A creature with fangs, dark fur, and glowing eyes! It moved like a shadow!"*
Li Shen's mind raced, connecting dots. The stories Jiang Tao had shared earlier echoed in his thoughts, blending with the panic now enveloping the village.
**Li Shen:** *"We need to get her to the healer. Quickly!"* He carefully lifted the old lady, cradling her in his arms, ignoring the sticky blood that stained his clothing.
As he turned toward the healer's hut, the crowd began to murmur again, fear intensifying with each passing moment.
**Jiang Tao:** *"I'll go ahead and prepare the healer! We need to move fast!"*
**Chen:** *"And I'll check the perimeter. Make sure that creature isn't lurking around!"*
Li Shen nodded, urgency pulsing through him.
**Li Shen:** *"Be careful, both of you. Whatever did this could strike again."*
With that, Li Shen rushed toward the healer's hut, determination coursing through him. The old lady's life hung in the balance, and he could not let fear or uncertainty hold him back.
As they raced through the streets, the cries of the villagers lingered in the air, their worry palpable, blending with the heavy dread that now hung over the village like a storm cloud. What had they awakened? And would it strike again before they had a chance to protect their home?
As Li Shen pushed open the door to the healer's hut, he called out.
**Li Shen:** *"We need help! Now!"*
Inside, the healer—a wise woman known for her skills in both medicine and magic—looked up, her eyes widening at the sight before her.
**Healer:** *"What happened?"*
**Li Shen:** *"She was attacked by a creature! We need to treat her wounds—fast!"*
The healer sprang into action, her demeanor shifting from surprise to urgency.
**Healer:** *"Lay her down here!"*
As Li Shen carefully placed the old lady on the cot, the healer began assessing her wounds, muttering incantations under her breath as she worked to stem the bleeding.
In the back of his mind, Li Shen couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of something far more sinister. The thought of otherworldly threats creeping into their lives loomed large, filling him with dread.
He glanced out the window, scanning the darkening skies and the forest beyond, aware that danger could be lurking just beyond their sight.
A few days passed, and the village's sense of normalcy had completely eroded. It started slowly at first, with villagers complaining of fatigue, dizziness, and fevers. But soon, the symptoms became far more severe—violent coughs, burning fevers, and strange black marks appearing on their skin. More and more people were falling ill, and whispers of a curse or plague began to spread.
Li Shen and Jiang Tao stood at the village square, the sight before them grim. Families huddled together, their loved ones lying in makeshift beds, moaning in pain. The healer's hut was overwhelmed, and the village air hung thick with the scent of sickness.
**Jiang Tao:** *"It's spreading fast, Li. We can't keep up like this."*
Li Shen frowned, his eyes scanning the sea of afflicted villagers. He had a sinking feeling that the attack on the old lady had been the start of something much worse.
**Li Shen:** *"This isn't a normal illness. It's too rapid, too aggressive. Something is causing this."*
**Jiang Tao:** *"You think it's connected to that creature?"*
Li Shen clenched his fists, a dark certainty settling over him. *"I do. Whatever attacked that woman… it brought something with it. A curse, a poison—something unnatural."*
The villagers' cries of pain echoed in the background as more people stumbled through the streets, weak and pale. The black marks on their skin were spreading, growing darker and more pronounced, like veins of corruption pulsing just beneath the surface.
Chen approached, his face pale with worry.
**Chen:** *"I spoke with the healer. She's never seen anything like this. Normal treatments aren't working—her herbs, her spells—nothing is helping."*
Li Shen's mind raced. If the healer was out of ideas, they would need something beyond the realm of ordinary medicine.
**Jiang Tao:** *"There must be something we can do. Maybe the elders—"*
Before he could finish, a young woman, no older than twenty, collapsed nearby, her body convulsing violently. Li Shen rushed over to help, but as he reached her, her skin had already turned an unnatural shade of gray, and the black marks now covered most of her body.
She gasped for air, her eyes wild with terror.
**Young Woman:** *"Help me… please…"*
Li Shen knelt beside her, holding her hand as her body shook uncontrollably. But within moments, she went still, her breath fading to nothing.
**Chen:** *"No... not again..."* His voice broke, eyes wide with disbelief.
The villagers around them whispered in fear, stepping back from the scene as if death itself were stalking them.
Li Shen stood slowly, his expression hardening. This wasn't just an illness. It was something far worse.
**Li Shen:** *"We need answers. Now."*
He turned to Jiang Tao and Chen, his tone resolute.
**Li Shen:** *"We need to investigate. Whatever did this is still out there, and we need to find out what's causing this sickness. If we don't stop it soon, the whole village will be dead."*
Jiang Tao nodded, his face grim.
**Jiang Tao:** *"Where do we start?"*
Li Shen's gaze drifted to the forest where the old lady had been found.
**Li Shen:** *"We go back to where it started. The forest. There's something out there… something we missed."*
With that, the three of them gathered their weapons and set off toward the darkened woods, the weight of the village's fate pressing heavily on their shoulders. The air was thick with tension, and Li Shen couldn't shake the feeling that something far more dangerous was waiting for them in the shadows.
Just as Li Shen, Jiang Tao, and Chen were about to leave for the forest, a young boy came running toward them, breathless and pale with fear.
**Boy:** *"Master Li! Master Li, it's your wife!"*
Li Shen froze in place, his blood running cold. His heart pounded in his chest as he turned sharply toward the boy, dread knotting in his stomach.
**Li Shen:** *"What happened?!"* His voice was low, but filled with urgency.
The boy swallowed hard, eyes wide with panic.
**Boy:** *"She's sick, Master Li. The same as the others. She's burning up… and the black marks, they're all over her skin."*
Li Shen's world seemed to tilt on its axis. Without another word, he sprinted toward his home, Jiang Tao and Chen following closely behind him. His thoughts raced, fear clawing at his mind. Not *her*, not Xiao Ling. This couldn't be happening.
As they reached his home, the sight that greeted him was like a knife to his heart. His wife, Xiao Ling, lay in bed, her skin flushed with fever, beads of sweat glistening on her forehead. And just as the boy had said, dark black veins crept along her arms and neck, slowly consuming her.
She opened her eyes as Li Shen rushed to her side, her gaze weak but filled with concern for him, even in her fragile state.
**Xiao Ling:** *"Li… don't… don't worry about me…"* Her voice was barely a whisper, trembling with pain.
Li Shen knelt beside her, gently taking her hand. It was cold to the touch, far too cold. His heart clenched as he saw the dark marks spreading, faster than he had seen with any of the other villagers.
**Li Shen:** *"Xiao Ling, I… I'll find a way to help you. I won't let this take you."*
She gave him a small, pained smile, though tears welled in her eyes.
**Xiao Ling:** *"You've always been so stubborn… but you can't stop this."*
Li Shen clenched his teeth, refusing to accept what was happening. He could feel the helplessness creeping in, the same helplessness he had felt when his comrades had died in battles he couldn't control. But this was different—this was *his family*.
Jiang Tao stood at the doorway, his face grim but understanding.
**Jiang Tao:** *"Li, we can't wait any longer. If this thing is spreading this fast, we need to find what's causing it before…"*
He didn't finish the sentence, but the unspoken words hung heavy in the air—before it's too late.
Li Shen looked back at his wife, his heart torn. He wanted nothing more than to stay by her side, to take care of her, to protect her. But he knew that sitting here, doing nothing, would only guarantee that he lost her—and everyone else he cared about.
With trembling hands, he brushed a strand of hair from Xiao Ling's face.
**Li Shen:** *"I'll come back. I promise. I'll find a way to stop this."*
Xiao Ling's eyes fluttered closed as she squeezed his hand, her strength fading.
**Xiao Ling:** *"Be careful… Li. Please."*
Li Shen stood, his jaw set, determination flaring in his chest. He couldn't fail. Not now. Not when so much was at stake.
**Li Shen:** *"Let's go,"* he said to Jiang Tao and Chen, his voice hard with resolve.
As they turned to leave, the weight of the plague seemed heavier than ever. Now, it wasn't just about the village—it was personal. And Li Shen would do whatever it took to save his wife, even if it meant confronting whatever dark force lurked in the shadows of the forest.
With a final glance back at Xiao Ling, Li Shen steeled himself for the journey ahead, knowing that the battle he was about to face was unlike any he had ever fought before.
Li Shen, Jiang Tao, and Chen gathered outside the house, the weight of Xiao Ling's condition hanging heavy in the air. The village had already lost so many to the strange plague, but now that it had reached his wife, Li Shen's resolve sharpened into something unbreakable.
Jiang Tao broke the silence first.
**Jiang Tao:** *"We need to find the source of this plague, fast. The bite marks… the fever… it's spreading too quickly. There's something unnatural about this, something dark."*
Chen nodded, his brow furrowed.
**Chen:** *"The villagers have been talking about strange things happening in the forest—creatures lurking, shadows moving in the dark. I think that's where it started."*
Li Shen clenched his fists, his mind racing. His training as a former Cloud Knight gave him an edge in battle, but this wasn't just about fighting—it was about understanding the enemy they were up against. The dark energy that had caused this plague was different, unknown, but it was targeting his family now, and that made it personal.
**Li Shen:** *"We'll head to the forest tonight. Whatever's hiding there, we'll find it. If it's causing the plague, we'll destroy it."*
Jiang Tao stepped forward, his face serious.
**Jiang Tao:** *"We need to prepare. If this is dark magic or some kind of creature, we'll need more than swords. We should bring the village healer. She might recognize something we don't."*
Chen crossed his arms, thinking for a moment.
**Chen:** *"We'll also need fire. Whatever's in the forest might not like light or heat. If it's tied to the shadows, fire could weaken it."*
Li Shen nodded, already planning their route and strategy. The forest was dense, vast, and filled with ancient mysteries—places even the cultivators rarely ventured. But this wasn't about curiosity or exploration; this was about survival.
**Li Shen:** *"We leave at dusk. Gather whatever you can—torches, healing supplies, and weapons. I'll speak to the village elder to see if he knows anything about these bite marks or where this darkness could have come from."*
Jiang Tao glanced at him, concerned.
**Jiang Tao:** *"And Xiao Ling…?"*
Li Shen's face hardened, the pain evident in his eyes.
**Li Shen:** *"She'll be safe here. The healer will stay with her, do whatever she can to slow the spread. But I can't stay—I need to stop this."*
Jiang Tao placed a hand on Li Shen's shoulder.
**Jiang Tao:** *"We'll find a way. Together."*
As they split up to prepare, Li Shen went to see the elder, hoping to find any clue about the nature of the plague. But deep down, he knew this wasn't just a simple sickness—it felt like something far more ancient, something that had waited in the shadows for far too long.
Tonight, they would face the unknown. And whatever was waiting in the dark, Li Shen would confront it with everything he had, for the sake of his wife, his family, and the village he had sworn to protect.