Chapter 45: Chapter 45: The Festival Ends
Wu Chang looked at the attribute column, repeatedly confirming the side quest.
"Hidden Side Quest: Find the source of Demon Qi in Huai Valley Village."
When the hidden quest was triggered, Chi Yuan handed him the Soul Cleansing Banner to find and eliminate the source of Demon Qi.
But there was no mention of it in the side quest.
Just like when the third roommate Gao Xuezong ate fried chicken while on a diet, claiming if it’s not mentioned, it’s zero calories!
If the task completion requirements aren’t written, then they don’t exist!
That is to say, the main quest and the hidden side quest should be able to coexist.
"Main Quest Two, Protect Huai Valley Village, Complete the Age Purging Ritual."
The main quest requires protecting Huai Valley Village and completing the Age Purging Ritual.
The direction for interpreting the requirement to protect the village is diverse.
Is it about protecting the village’s continuity, the safety of the villagers, or just this piece of land?
Only protecting the land and buildings would be easy.
The supernatural forces’ power is mainly against people, having minor influence on buildings and terrain; the only precaution is preventing fires during battles that could burn Huai Valley Village to ashes.
However, the Four-sided Age Fire Lamp has the ability to control fire, so there’s no need to worry too much.
If the protection is for the villagers or the village’s continuity, he has a clue.
After a brief hesitation, he didn’t attack the supernatural force further and instead raised his gun, aiming at the massive Everlasting Lamp above the clearing.
A gunshot rang out, and the Everlasting Lamp shattered, plunging the pit into darkness.
Without the light, the forty-nine locust trees encircling the supernatural force and sealing it creaked with the sound of bending deadwood.
Wu Chang raised his torch to see the locust trees wither, decay, and crumble rapidly before turning to ash.
He softly spoke to the supernatural force, now free from the restriction of the Age Purging Array:
"Go now, when will endless retribution end, remember to eliminate the roots."
A rumbling thunderous sound came from the red clouds as if responding to Wu Chang, then rushed toward the surface.
In the darkness, Wu Chang shook his torch and asked behind him:
"If I had continued the exorcism just now, what would you have done?"
"I would have stopped you with all my might."
A small figure stepped out of the darkness, the Village Guard of Huai Valley Village.
More precisely, the only villager of Huai Valley Village in the valley at that moment.
Several shadows surrounded the Village Guard, the Mountain Guardian Beasts that had escaped amid the chaos.
Wu Chang shook his head and said, "This isn’t for you to do; if I were you, I’d run away immediately without looking back."
"I heard you tell Liu Wu that you can communicate with vengeful spirits, I believe you are a good person and will stand with us," the Village Guard young man said earnestly.
Wu Chang: "I remember we agreed not to sneak a look at what I do in Ghost Cry Forest, a good child wouldn’t lie."
The Village Guard young man smiled slyly, "I’ve been lying since I was a kid, never been a good child."
Wu Chang walked over to the Village Guard, patted his head, and said in a ghostly tone:
"Don’t worry, after tonight, everything will be over."
The Village Guard was stunned; he seemed to understand something, tears streaming down his face involuntarily.
Feeling the tears, his body shuddered instinctively; he wiped his face randomly with his hands, forcing a silly smile.
Wu Chang grasped the Village Guard’s hands, shook his head, and said, "It’s no longer necessary."
After a brief silence, a heart-wrenching cry echoed through the pit.
The long-repressed emotions erupted like a tidal wave.
After a long time, the Village Guard young man regained control of his emotions.
Seeing the Village Guard calm down, Wu Chang asked, "If you can enter the pit, do you know any other routes to the surface?"
The Village Guard young man nodded, pulling a pangolin from his pocket, "It can lead us out."
"Let’s go, we need to head up, there’s still a score to settle."
The formation of the Bottomless Pit in Hollow Mountain was due to a geological upheaval five years ago.
Beneath the pit is a labyrinthine network, akin to a natural maze, making it difficult for anyone to find the exit.
But precisely because of the complex underground routes, one can navigate from any mountain around Huai Valley Village straight to the pit as long as they discern the underground paths.
Wu Chang followed the Village Guard through the journey, and the two emerged from a cave, pushed aside the surrounding weeds, and found themselves at Spring Comes Mountain.
He took out a small package from his spatial backpack and stuffed it into the hands of the Village Guard, advising:
"The village is too dangerous. No matter the outcome today, you shouldn’t stay here any longer. I’ve left Liu Wei’s and Liu Wu’s horses outside the village. Head east, and you’ll see them."
"These are the spices I had left that day. Find someone who recognizes their value, and you can exchange them for an equivalent amount of gold. Keep them; you’ll need them in the future."
The young Village Guard held the package, at a loss for words.
Wu Chang smiled and said, "Among the people I know, those who could pretend to be mad and act foolishly for years for revenge, bearing humiliation and burdens, all became great figures of the world. I believe you won’t be any worse than them! Go now."
The young Village Guard wanted to say a lot, but didn’t know how to express it, so he knelt heavily on the ground with a bow.
"Master Wu, take good care of yourself."
After sending off the young Village Guard, Wu Chang extinguished the torch and quietly snuck back into Huai Valley Village.
He found a high ground, spying on the current state of Huai Valley Village.
He quickly located Liu Shan.
After ambushing him and knocking him into the pit, the old man dropped his act completely.
At this moment, Liu Shan seemed twenty years younger, dressed in a black leather armor, wearing silver claws on his hands, moving swiftly like the wind, his palms shattering stones as he went.
The former bandit leader’s action once again ignited the passion of the mountain bandits.
Two of the possessed beings controlled by evil Qi—one was already dead, his head wrenched off by Liu Shan.
The other was on his last breath, the scale armor that could resist ordinary weapons rendered useless under Liu Shan’s eagle claw.
The chest and abdomen of the possessed being were clawed into seven or eight fist-sized bloody holes, with bones and organs clearly visible, and demise was only a matter of time.
And to defeat the two possessed beings, Liu Shan only used one hand.
His other hand was in a heaven-supporting pose, holding the Four-sided Age Fire Lamp, under the blazing firelight, suppressing the freed evil spirits firmly.
Liu Shan’s fingers formed a knife, piercing through the last possessed being’s chest, extracting the heart and filling it into the Four-sided Age Fire Lamp, transforming it into lamp oil.
With the possessed beings eliminated, Liu Shan looked at the red cloud above, grim-faced and said:
"Offering you as Mountain Gods, you refused, insisting on turning into fierce ghosts clinging on! If that’s the case, then today I will turn you into lamp oil, annihilating your spirits and souls, never to reincarnate!"
The evil spirits had divided some of their power into the three possessed beings, and were heavily wounded by Wu Chang with the Soul Cleansing Command Flag, currently in a weakened state.
Meanwhile, Liu Shan turned the demon Qi of two possessed beings into lamp oil, causing the Four-sided Age Fire Lamp to burn fiercely.
As the situation forced back and forth, the ascending age fire engulfed the blood cloud, exhibiting a semblance of refining the evil spirits.
Just when the evil spirits were reaching their limit, unable to withstand the burning age fire, the gates of Huai Valley Village were smashed open by immense force, and three demons roared into the village.
These three demons were old acquaintances, all appearing before in the grievances of the deceased from Chen Family Village.
One was a monkey with a ghostly face, flickering with yellow light all over; another was a Tree Demon with roots as feet and branches like swords; the last was a Snake Demon, its body made of pure iron, its scales making a metallic scraping sound as it moved.
The three demons charged into Huai Valley Village, commencing a massacre just as they did when they attacked Chen Family Village.
The most formidable among them, the Mountain Demon, immediately set its eyes on Liu Shan.
Man and demon engaged in battle.
Liu Shan’s claws were sharp enough to easily penetrate the scales and leather armor, greatly damaging humans and humanoid demons.
But the flaw of the Claw Technique was the short attack range and limited scope.
A short reach is dangerous, and the Claw Technique, perilously unpredictable against humans, became somewhat humorous when faced with a four-meter-tall Mountain Demon.
Not to mention his Claw Technique couldn’t break through the Mountain Demon’s armor, even if he sunk his entire hand into the Mountain Demon’s body, what kind of damage could he really inflict on such a massive creature?
Liu Shan’s Iron Claws were like a massage to the Mountain Demon, whereas the Mountain Demon’s punches could mean instant death or injury for Liu Shan just by grazing him.
After several exchanges, Liu Shan realized he stood no chance, and turned to flee.
The title of "Flying Cloud Eagle" was not exaggerated; when his Body Technique unfolded, even the Mountain Demon could not catch up.
With a few leaps, he shook off the Mountain Demon and fled into the mountains.
The Mountain Demon, seeing it couldn’t catch up, reluctantly stopped pursuing, roaring impotently at Liu Shan’s retreating figure before turning back to the slaughter in Huai Valley Village.
In the mountains, the Mountain Demon’s silhouette was completely gone.
Having shaken off the Mountain Demon, Liu Shan was about to stop and catch his breath when suddenly a loud noise erupted at his side.
Bang!
Liu Shan’s body jolted; he looked down to see a blood hole appear in his abdomen.
He felt his strength rapidly draining through the hole, unable to stop it no matter how he tried to cover the wound.
Just as he took out the Golden Wound Medicine from his pocket, intending to stop the bleeding, he heard an unexpected voice in his ear.
"Question: As a villain, how should one laugh to fit the character setting?"