Chapter 21: Eerie

The mountain wind howled, like ghosts crying and wolves howling, beating against the windows of the off-road vehicle. Tang Yun's brows were tightly locked, and the half-piece of the bronze tiger tally in his hand was scorching hot, making his palm numb.

"Young Master Tang, this thing is eerie!" Zhao Long glanced at the tiger tally in Tang Yun's hand and rubbed his arms. "This broken place is gloomy and creepy."

Tang Yun didn't speak. Borrowing the dim light inside the car, he discovered that several blood-red patterns had appeared on the surface of the tiger tally, like some kind of script, or perhaps some ancient totem.

"Xiyue, take a look, what is this?" Tang Yun handed the tiger tally to Lin Xiyue.

Lin Xiyue took the tiger tally, the burning sensation upon contact slightly startling her. She carefully examined those blood-colored patterns. Suddenly, the Taixu Armor on her body emitted a slight humming sound, as if resonating with the tiger tally.

"This is... Miao script!" Lin Xiyue's expression changed slightly. "It means 'Blood Moon Soul Reflection'."

"'Blood Moon Soul Reflection'?" Tang Yun repeated, his heart even more confused. These four words carried an eerie aura, making him feel vaguely uneasy.

Just then, the off-road vehicle shook violently and stopped.

"What's going on?" Tang Yun asked.

"It seems something is blocking the road ahead." The driver's voice was somewhat trembling.

Tang Yun pushed open the car door and walked down.

The scene before them made Tang Yun and all the Asura Guards gasp.

They saw that on the mountain road ahead, it was densely packed with "people," numbering over three hundred.

These "people" were wearing Qing Dynasty official robes, their faces were pale, their eyes were lifeless, and their movements were stiff; they were clearly a group of zombies!

"Damn it!" Zhao Long couldn't help but curse. "This... this is too eerie!"

These zombies were arranged in an eerie formation, completely sealing off the mountain road, forming a "Yellow Spring Road" leading into the depths of darkness.

"Young Master Tang, this... this is a formation set up by the corpse herders!" Lin Xiyue's expression was solemn. "It seems we have entered the territory of the Corpse Herder tribe."

Lin Xiyue looked at Tang Yun worriedly: "Young Master Tang, this place in Xiangxi is too dangerous, we should..."

"Dangerous?" A sneer appeared at the corner of Tang Yun's mouth, and he suddenly crushed the half-piece of the bronze tiger tally in his hand.

The moment the tiger tally shattered, a dazzling light shot into the sky, tearing a huge rift in the night sky.

"I am the danger itself!"

Tang Yun's voice echoed in the valley, filled with dominance.

Zhao Long and the Asura Guards were all stunned; this... this was too awesome!

Tang Yun stepped into the space rift, and his figure disappeared.

"Holy crap! Is Young Master Tang... becoming an immortal?" An Asura Guard asked, dumbfounded.

"Don't just stand there, follow!" Zhao Long came back to his senses and hurriedly signaled everyone to follow.

On the other side of the space rift was an ancient village.

In the village, the houses were low, built with wood and stone, full of a primitive atmosphere.

Three hundred zombies were still blocking the village entrance, but Tang Yun and the others had already bypassed them.

"Who goes there, daring to trespass into my Corpse Herder tribe!" An aged voice came from the depths of the village.

An old man wearing Miao ethnic clothing, leaning on a cane, walked out of the village.

The old man had a crane-like appearance and a youthful face, full of spirit, with a pair of eyes that were bright and piercing, exuding a majesty that made people dare not look directly at him.

Tang Yun looked at the old man, his heart shocked.

This face, he would never forget it in his entire life!

"Dad!" Tang Yun blurted out.

The old man was stunned for a moment, carefully examining Tang Yun, surprise flashing in his murky eyes.

"You are... Little Yun?"

"It's me, Dad!" Tang Yun walked excitedly to the old man. "I didn't expect you to be the leader of the Corpse Herder tribe!"

The old man was none other than the Miao father who had treated Tang Yun in the Miao village years ago.

"Little Yun, why did you come here?" The old man asked, his tone carrying a trace of confusion.

"Dad, it's a long story..." Tang Yun told the old man the whole story, as well as Lin Zhendong's death.

After hearing this, the old man's expression became exceptionally solemn.

"I didn't expect that a fragment of the Shennong Cauldron would fall into Liu Tianba's hands!" The old man sighed. "This is not a good omen!"

"Dad, do you know the whereabouts of the Shennong Cauldron fragment?" Tang Yun asked hurriedly.

The old man nodded: "The Shennong Cauldron fragment is in the Forbidden Ground of our Corpse Herder tribe!"

"Forbidden Ground?"

"Correct, the Forbidden Ground is the holy land of our Corpse Herder tribe and also the resting place of past leaders." The old man explained. "The Shennong Cauldron fragment is hidden in the coffins of past leaders."

"Dad, can you take me to the Forbidden Ground?" Tang Yun asked.

The old man hesitated for a moment and said: "Little Yun, the Forbidden Ground is the holy land of our Corpse Herder tribe; outsiders are not allowed to enter. Moreover, inside the Forbidden Ground, there are many traps and dangers lurking..."

"Dad, I know it's dangerous, but I must get the Shennong Cauldron fragment!" Tang Yun's tone was firm. "Liu Tianba is ruthless; if he gets the Shennong Cauldron, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

The old man looked at Tang Yun's firm eyes and finally nodded: "Alright, I will take you to the Forbidden Ground. However, you must be careful; inside the Forbidden Ground, dangers lurk everywhere. If you are not careful, you will be doomed!"

"I know, Dad."

The old man took Tang Yun and walked toward the depths of the village.

Along the way, Tang Yun discovered that the atmosphere in the village was exceptionally eerie; every household had their doors tightly closed, and there were no people around.

"Dad, where are the people in the village?" Tang Yun couldn't help but ask.

The old man sighed and said: "They have all gone to prepare for tonight's Blood Moon Sacrifice."

"'Blood Moon Sacrifice'?" Tang Yun's heart tightened; the name alone sounded hair-raising.

"The Blood Moon Sacrifice is an ancient ritual of our Corpse Herder tribe. Every Blood Moon night, we must hold a sacrifice to pray for the protection of our ancestors." The old man explained. "Tonight is the night of the Blood Moon..."

A sense of foreboding suddenly surged into Tang Yun's heart; tonight's Blood Moon Sacrifice probably wouldn't be that simple...

The old man took Tang Yun and turned past several dilapidated wooden houses. A pungent smell of blood, mixed with the stench of rotting corpses, rushed toward them, and Tang Yun almost vomited.

"Dad, what is this smell?" Tang Yun covered his nose, enduring the nausea.

The old man did not answer, just quickened his pace.

Walking to the deepest part of the village, an ancient stone house appeared. The walls of the stone house were carved with eerie runes, exuding a gloomy aura.

"This is the Forbidden Ground." The old man stopped, turned around, and stared at Tang Yun with burning eyes.

Suddenly, the old man's expression became ferocious, and the cane in his hand thrust toward Tang Yun's chest!

Tang Yun was caught off guard, hit by the cane, and flew backward, falling heavily to the ground.

"Dad, you..." Tang Yun clutched his chest, looking at the old man in disbelief. ===== CHAPTER 22 =====