Chapter 238

Chapter 238

Chapter 238

The group, unaware of the truth, despaired at Old Ancestor’s answer. His body was buried, per Zhou Zijian. Digging and destroying it was doable, but not in a minute.

Were they to watch his scheme succeed?

As despair set in, a playful, familiar voice came through a megaphone: “Thought you were clever hiding your body in that stone? Ever heard of being too smart for your own good?”

If Old Ancestor’s body was in the grave, Jiang Tianming’s group would’ve been out of luck, and Su Bei wouldn’t have intervened. But in the Life Stone, with it being so accessible? He couldn’t resist.

He added: “Officer Zhou, if you don’t want to die, get as far from the village as possible. Come back during the day.”

Using Mental Energy, he shifted Zhou’s large pointer from the lower death zone to the upper “leave” zone. The other villagers weren’t worth saving, but Zhou was innocent.

He’d done nothing wrong, even reporting the murders despite resistance, letting them find the Life Stone and foil Old Ancestor’s plan.

Su Bei hadn’t changed Zhou’s fate earlier, wary of a twist or him not being good. Now, with the truth clear, he wanted to save him.

Saving Zhou was easy. Though a villager, he hadn’t been in Longevity Town long this month. If he was outside the array’s range when it activated, he’d be safe. Su Bei just needed to tweak his pointer to keep him out.

But Su Bei wasn’t the silent hero type. Why not let Zhou know he’d saved him? Mouths were for speaking. So he told him to run.

Jiang Tianming reacted the fastest, shouting “Go!” to Zhou while grabbing the Life Stone, covering it with [Ability Immunity].

Whatever method Old Ancestor used to attach to the Life Stone involved an Ability. Even if he couldn’t see it—blanketing the stone would end it.

Though the megaphone distorted it, Jiang Tianming recognized Su Bei’s voice. Why Su Bei, supposed to buy cinnabar, was here was unclear, but his intel was reliable.

As expected, when he covered the stone, Old Ancestor screamed worse than before: “Ah! Why am I fading? You—”

Before finishing, he vanished with the Ability’s effect.

“It worked, right?” Jiang Tianming asked uncertainly, looking at the villagers. They didn’t recover—collapsing, glowing faintly red.

Before fainting, the Village Head gasped: “I… feel my strength… draining…”

Seeing this, who didn’t understand? Old Ancestor’s array had succeeded. But he was dead? Li Shu shouted: “Su Bei, bad intel?”

He’d recognized Su Bei’s voice too.

“You can slander me, but not my intel,” Su Bei strolled out from the woods. “Old Ancestor’s dead, and he didn’t lie. If the array’s beneficiary dies, it loses its target and fails.”

“Then this…”

Before Li Shu finished, Jiang Tianming got it: “You’re saying someone else in the village can use the Life Extension Array?”

“Zhou family’s second daughter?!” Ling You said, shocked.

Following her gaze, a girl in light blue pajamas walked slowly from the village—Zhou Min.

Her face showed confusion. Seeing everyone collapsed, she shrank back, wary and scared, shouting: “What’s going on?” Her complexion was rosy, her voice strong—none of her prior sickly air. ꭆΆΝ𝘰ΒЕⱾ

Su Bei shrugged, bowing slightly: “Congrats on gaining the village’s life force. Even a terminal illness should heal now.”

He sauntered off: “I’m going to sleep. Call me when you need the array.”

Sleeping till morning, no one disturbed him. Refreshed, he opened the door to find Brother Wang, Zhou Zijian, and a dark-eyed Jiang Tianming.

Seeing him, Zhou rushed forward: “Thank you, Su Bei, for the warning. I owe you big time. Call me anytime you need help—I’ll do my best.”

Yesterday, confused but following Su Bei’s advice, he fled. Returning at dawn, he found everyone but Zhou Min dead!

Smart, Zhou realized Su Bei’s warning saved him. Learning of his Ability, he was certain Su Bei saw his death and intervened.

“Got it,” Su Bei nodded casually. He had Zhou’s number—if needed, he’d call. He knew he’d genuinely saved him.

Stretching, he asked cheerfully: “Rough night?”

The three glared resentfully. Li Shu said, feigning kindness: “So many died last night. You’ve gotta be heartless to sleep well.”

He wasn’t sleepless over strangers’ deaths—what did they matter? He stayed up for Jiang Tianming. But he used it to jab Su Bei—judge the act, not the intent.

“Not my kills,” Su Bei said, immune to moral guilt. He had none.

Rubbing his aching temples from the sleepless night, Jiang Tianming asked calmly: “But you knew, right? That Zhou Min would survive?”

Last night, after Su Bei left, he recalled Su Bei’s “interesting” comment about Zhou Min. His bad feeling was right—“interesting” meant trouble.

Su Bei nodded honestly: “Fate’s unavoidable.”

Unless he paid a price.

Without cost, even taking Zhou Min away would’ve led another to become near-dead and take the village’s life force, while Zhou Min died from her illness.

Jiang Tianming didn’t fully grasp this but, influenced by Feng Lan and Su Bei, knew changing fates had costs—especially a village’s worth.

He didn’t blame Su Bei. Helping was kindness; not helping was duty. Honestly, except Zhou Zijian, the villagers deserved it.

And Su Bei saved Zhou.

Curious, he asked: “You saved Zhou Zijian?”

“For letting me see a good show,” Su Bei said lazily, not hiding it, even with Zhou present.

That fit his character. Satisfied, Jiang Tianming asked: “You were supposed to buy cinnabar. Why stay?”

“A good show needs an audience,” Su Bei said, not looking at anyone but thinking of the village’s sole survivor. “A qualified audience.”

A good audience has to see the play through to its end, or the actors would get lonely.

Not giving them a chance to ask more, Su Bei looked at them: “You making the array?”

Unsure of last night’s events, Brother Wang finally spoke: “I got cinnabar from the morning market. Just got back. With four of us, one array each, we didn’t call you.”

His Ability ensured his array was as good as theirs. Knowing Su Bei’s lazy streak, he wasn’t worried about stealing credit.

As expected, Su Bei wasn’t mad, saying: “Keep at it. I’ll go for a… uh…”

Suddenly, his face changed: “No time. Brother Wang, give me your materials and blueprint. Drive now—we’ll make the array on the way.”

Activating his Ability, he saw everyone’s luck pointers far right—bad luck was coming, affecting them all.

No need to guess—it was the Life Stone.

Old Ancestor’s time of death was uncertain, so his aura concealment’s duration was too—it was ending soon.

Protagonists indeed attracted trouble.

Right after, Manga Consciousness pinged—a new comic chapter updated.

“What’s up?” Jiang Tianming’s relaxed brow furrowed, standing to pack while asking.

Others reacted too. Zhou Zijian asked nervously: “Do I go with you? What about Zhou Min?”

She’d lucked out, surviving and benefiting most, as Jiang Tianming explained earlier.

“You two stay,” Su Bei said, noting Zhou’s decent luck, then explained: “Old Ancestor’s seal won’t last till we finish the array. It’ll leak, drawing Nightmare Beasts.”

They had to move now. Even if they sealed it quickly after a leak, many beasts would arrive. Closer to the Academy, they’d face less danger.

With little luggage, they reached the village entrance. Surprisingly, Zhou Min sat on a rock, staring into space—either thinking or just dazed.

Hearing footsteps, she turned, stunned to see them leaving: “You’re going? What about what happened to me?”

“Someone will handle it later,” Jiang Tianming said. “If we get back safely.”

In the car, Brother Wang floored it towards the Academy. The others drew the array, minimizing aura leakage.

He also called the Academy and government. Hiding the Life Stone was pointless now—support from strong Ability users was key.

The trip was four hours. They didn’t know when the aura would leak, but with small pointers’ indicating urgency, it wouldn’t be long. Surviving hours under siege was impossible.

Driving and calling was risky, but with all four needed for the array, Brother Wang had to do it.

“Did Zhou Min know Old Ancestor’s plan? She was too calm last night,” Jiang Tianming asked, drawing without looking up.

Normally, people slept at night, unlikely to notice sudden deaths. If they did, most would hide in fear, not calmly check the scene like her.

Since it wasn’t a crime, he hadn’t pressed then, just felt curious later.

Li Shu looked up, unsure: “No reason she’d know, right?”

Old Ancestor made his plan when he realized he couldn’t live forever, aiming to monopolize the village’s lives. He wouldn’t tell anyone.

“Su Bei, Ling You, what do you think?” Jiang Tianming asked the group.

Su Bei agreed: “She knew.”

Realizing why Zhou Min survived, he’d suspected and tested her. His questions about Old Ancestor were a feint—he was gauging her attitude.

Her evasive response spoke volumes.

It was two-to-one, but Li Shu wasn’t convinced, smiling at Ling You: “What do you think?”

Ling You looked up, paused her drawing, and said clearly: “I finished my array.”

The others: “…”

They shut up, speeding up their work.

Brother Wang finished his first call: “The receptionist said they’ll report it and to stay in touch. Should I call your teacher?”

“Yeah, our homeroom’s number is 13xxxxxxxxx,” Jiang Tianming rattled it off. Only he, Zhao Xiaoyu, and the Class Monitor likely memorized it.

As Brother Wang dialed, before it connected, Su Bei’s expression turned grave: “They’re here!”

His spread Mental Energy sensed several Nightmare Beasts approaching—Old Ancestor’s seal had ended, and they’d sensed the Life Stone.

Expected, but no one spoke, their eyes resolute. No backing down now—even surrendering the Life Stone wouldn’t spare them.

“You two handle them. We’ll keep drawing,” Su Bei said, eyeing his nearly finished array.

Even with beasts coming, sealing the aura wasn’t pointless. Without high-level ones, distant beasts wouldn’t be able to pinpoint them.

Sealing it before high-level beasts arrived meant facing only those drawn by the initial leak. But if the aura kept leaking, beasts would keep coming, and when high-level ones arrived, they’d be doomed.

“Hurry. We’ll hold them,” Jiang Tianming said, understanding. To Brother Wang: “Keep driving steady.”

They’d fight on the roof—inside, they’d be restricted and might disrupt Su Bei’s drawing. The array was complex—one mistake meant starting over.

Jiang Tianming and Ling You drew faster—Jiang Tianming from studying the array, Ling You from superior focus.

“Don’t worry, my [Steady Driving] will keep this car smooth! You’ll feel like you’re on solid ground!” Brother Wang assured, though sweat betrayed the amount of pressure he felt.

Taking the Life Stone from storage, Jiang Tianming and Ling You climbed to the roof, drawing beasts away from other targets.

The Life Stone’s aura couldn’t be hidden, even in storage. Seconds after climbing up, a monkey-like low-level Nightmare Beast leapt from the woods, screeching and clawing at Jiang Tianming.

It was easy to handle. Despite being on the roof, Brother Wang’s steady driving let them fight comfortably.

But after a minute, the beasts tripled, overwhelming them. It seemed every Nightmare Beast within hundreds of kilometers had come.

Ling You shone here—[Plague] was made for this. One virus, and same-species beasts dropped dead.

Jiang Tianming’s [Frost Mage] fit too. A “Hail Array” centered on him smashed nearby beasts.

As the car moved, it left a trail of dense Nightmare Beast corpses. From the windows, the sky was blocked by waves of beasts.

Low-level beasts lacked quality but not quantity. Without this, they wouldn’t have known so many existed nearby.

It looked easy, but it wasn’t sustainable—their Mental Energy wouldn’t hold out.

Li Shu finished his array first, joining the fight. Without going up, he cast [Illusion] from inside, dragging nearby beasts into a non-lethal illusion where they killed each other, saving his energy. But as more fell in, even while using it conservatively, his Mental Energy drained fast.

Finishing his last stroke, seeing his pale teammates, Su Bei shouted: “Done! Give me the stuff—I’ll finish the array.”

Jiang Tianming’s eyes lit up. He and Ling You cleared the beasts at the window. Su Bei seized the moment, opened it, grabbed the Life Stone, and placed it in the center of the four arrays.

The arrays glowed bright white, then vanished.

The array worked—the Life Stone’s aura was sealed. Now, they just needed to clear the beasts drawn by the earlier leak to escape.

Su Bei cracked his knuckles, saying dramatically to those on the roof: “Step back, don’t cramp my style—I’m making my move.”