Gu Sanqiu let out a long breath, the cold air of Wuwang Hill making his exhalation visible as a faint trail.
"You're awake, Sanqiu! Quick, quick, tell me—did it work?" Hu Tao asked eagerly.
Without saying a word, Gu Sanqiu hung the heirloom Vision from his waist, letting his actions speak for themselves.
Only those who had truly been acknowledged by a Vision could wear it, much like a badge issued by a village committee, signaling official recognition. Of course, one didn't have to wear it, but going out to eat without it might mean waiting in line without any discounts.
"Hey, hey, the Vision from your family must be powerful, right? Show me what it can do!"
(ﾉﾟ▽ﾟ)ﾉ
"Your basic education must've skipped a step," Gu Sanqiu teased, rotating his wrist with a sinister smile on his face. "The Vision is more like a conduit. Who gets a Vision and immediately unlocks a super move?"
"Let's go. After spending so much time, it's about time to give that thing some trouble."
"Wait!" Hu Tao raised her hand, standing on her tiptoes. "Let me finish eating first!"
Item: Full Course Bento Box: Cotton Candy Beef
Source: Canghai Gate's Fifteenth Hope Elementary School Canteen
Effect: Provides nutritional support to children striving at the starting line.
Note: Though it hardly seems like real beef, it's ideal for a child's digestion.
Watching Hu Tao wolf down her meal, Gu Sanqiu worried she might accidentally eat the entire bento box too.
"This bento is delicious!"
Hu Tao looked up at him, a few grains of rice still stuck to her mouth. "Sanqiu, could you make these for me every day?"
"I can. Just pay me."
"(ˉ▽￣～) Hmph! My guest minister said that men who are stingy never find a partner."
"I don't mind."
Gu Sanqiu chuckled and tapped the Vision at his waist. A faint dark-yellow light flew out and transformed into a swarm of small, grayish-yellow mice that scurried in all directions.
Spell: Seeker Rats
Gu Sanqiu's mental focus followed the mice toward the ghouls. Through his elemental vision, he saw dark and red gases corroding the mice as they advanced.
"Tsk, what the heck is this? Residual resentment from years of not cleansing Wuwang Hill properly?"
In a hurry, Gu Sanqiu didn't think the ghouls had much intelligence. He gathered a group of seeker rats together, and with a burst of Geo energy, they dispersed the "resentment" blocking the path, allowing him to see the battlefield where they had fought earlier.
The area was flattened, trees cut down, and a training field had been cleared in the middle of the forest. The creature that had emerged from the ground rode on its warhorse, patrolling the field over and over.
From all directions, ragged figures with broken weapons—more accurately, mutilated corpses—were slowly making their way to the training field, gradually forming an eerie, orderly formation under some unseen command.
"There's only one wearing armor, so we can rule out them being soldiers. It looks like something is terrifying them into standing in formation."
One of the seeker rats turned its head. "Let's take a closer look at what this thing is…"
Slash!
A swift and decisive blade fell, cutting off Gu Sanqiu's connection. He opened his eyes, rubbing his head gently.
"Finished eating? Good, let's go settle the score. I've got the location."
"Huh? Those guys didn't scatter to search for fresh blood?"
"No, and that's exactly what makes it even more unsettling. We need to move quickly."
…
"Sanqiu, Sanqiu, when do I get to join the fight? I'm getting impatient!" Hu Tao asked eagerly.
"I'll go first. Once the other ghouls start moving to assist, you jump in and take care of the smaller ones. Be ruthless—if these things are really being controlled, it's best to send them to rest quickly."
With that, Gu Sanqiu leapt into action, Geo energy coalescing into a long staff in his hands, which he swung down toward the ghoul on the warhorse!
"Roar!"
Upon seeing Gu Sanqiu, the warhorse ghoul let out a guttural roar, its decayed vocal cords producing a sound as forceful as a sonic attack, accompanied by a foul, black breath.
The warhorse ghoul's weapon clashed with Gu Sanqiu's staff, the sheer force of the collision sending Gu Sanqiu briefly airborne!
"Damn, ghouls really are disgusting."
From that one exchange, Gu Sanqiu realized he didn't have the advantage in physical strength. His surprise attack hadn't done much, and taking the ghoul down would require a different approach.
As Gu Sanqiu landed, the lesser ghouls began to take notice of him, their mouths hanging open. A few even lost their jaws entirely, their eyes glowing with a dangerous red light.
"Heh, you wanna eat me?"
With the warhorse ghoul charging at him again, the lesser ghouls also rushed toward Gu Sanqiu like a pack of hyenas closing in on prey.
"You'll need a bit more luck for that!"
"I'm here, as your funeral parlor master!"
Hu Tao's shout echoed as she swung the Staff of Homa with incredible speed, forming a barrier of pure flame that encircled the ghouls, leaving only Gu Sanqiu and the warhorse ghoul inside.
With Homa's protection, Gu Sanqiu no longer had to worry about soul-fire arrows striking him from afar. He could focus entirely on fighting the warhorse ghoul head-on!
As for the lesser ghouls, they were simple. Without the big guy to command them, they were little more than fodder in front of the funeral parlor master. They were no match for Hu Tao's blazing flames.
Each time Gu Sanqiu's staff struck, the sound of the impact filled the air. His Geo-infused staff struck like a snake, each hit landing perfectly on the ghoul's armor.
Occasionally, Gu Sanqiu managed to land a hit on the warhorse, but even with the Geo energy, the creature's skin remained unscathed.
The ghoul's longsword gleamed faintly, leaving a long trail of light each time it slashed at Gu Sanqiu. The weapon was clearly an ancient artifact that would make any collector's eyes light up.
"Ha!"
Once again, the ghoul's blade came down, and the warhorse opened its foul mouth, lunging toward Gu Sanqiu with a bite.
"I may not know much about timing, but I've got both the advantage of location and teamwork. How are you going to beat me?"
Gu Sanqiu smirked coldly. After dodging the attack, his staff dissolved into the ground, blending seamlessly with the earth beneath the ghoul's feet.
In an instant, the spots Gu Sanqiu had struck earlier lit up with a golden-yellow glow, and thin stone chains shot out from the ground, wrapping around the ghoul and its warhorse, immobilizing them completely.
The shattered remains of Gu Sanqiu's staff erupted from the ground, transforming into sharp spikes that pierced the ghoul in multiple places, suspending it in midair!
"Gu Family Secret Technique: Dust-Lock Demon-Suppressing Formation!"
Golden runes began to snake around the spikes and chains, sizzling against the ghoul's body and releasing foul black smoke. The warhorse and ghoul, which had been struggling moments before, suddenly went limp.
"Incense bearers don't have much combat ability, but the former heads of the Gu Sect certainly did."
With Hu Tao's purifying flames on the outside and Gu Sanqiu's sinister sealing formation on the inside, the once-terrifying creature was now trapped and helpless, a mere target for the taking!
---
If you spot any mistakes let me know so I can fix them.
Read up to Chapter 30! [P@treon.com/WiseTL]