Chapter 204: Heir of Kui Star

Arriving at the foot of the mountain, what met his eyes was not a peaceful scene, but a dozen warlord soldiers surrounding the village entrance, shouting at several villagers.

His arrival drew the soldiers' attention; they raised their rifles and pointed them at Chu Danqing.

"Who are you? Where are you from? What are you doing here?" The officer, clearly the leader, eyed Chu Danqing with suspicion.

"Just passing through. What's going on here?" Chu Danqing paid no mind to the guns: "Put down your weapons and talk slowly—I'm no villain."

The officer sized up Chu Danqing briefly, noting his extraordinary bearing and natural charm, then waved his hand and ordered his men to lower their rifles.

"Two of our men died on the mountain. We don't know what demon killed them."

"We wanted to spend the night here, but these old fools won't let us." The officer's face darkened with murderous intent: "We're not short on cash—we've got plenty to spare."

Saying this, the officer pulled a handful of silver dollars from his pocket.

Using his rudimentary feng shui knowledge, Chu Danqing noticed a faint trace of black qi clinging to the warlord soldiers.

The officer was hiding much; though Chu Danqing had high charm, it wasn't charm magic, so he couldn't force confessions.

"Sir, the village isn't safe," the village chief hurriedly explained. "We're not refusing you lodging—we just can't let outsiders stay."

"Old sir, please speak plainly," Chu Danqing hated riddles.

"Yes, why can't we stay? It's just a room!" The officer's temper flared. "It's nearly dark—we're asking for little."

"Just clear one room, bring us some food and wine, and we'll pay."

The officer tossed the silver dollars at the village chief; if the old man refused or delayed again, he'd shoot him on the spot.

Today's events had already frayed his nerves; as dusk deepened, the tension grew sharper.

Seeing the officer wave his pistol, the chief knew he couldn't stop them—he finally nodded in surrender.

"Sir, you're too kind—no need for silver," the village chief knew the money was cursed: take it, and you'd die spending it. He added a warning: "No matter what you hear at night, don't step outside."

"Fine, I understand. Lead the way." The officer didn't care anymore—they were hungry, exhausted, and just wanted rest.

Seeing this, Chu Danqing followed along.

"Old sir, could you spare us a room too?" Chu Danqing smiled, pulling out a few silver ingots: "No silver dollars, but we've got room payment."

The village chief hesitated, then took them.

Chu Danqing didn't look like a thug who'd kill on a whim—he seemed reasonable.

One sheep to drive, a whole flock to drive—it made no difference.

The village chief assigned Chu Danqing and the officer each a room, then had villagers bring food.

"Old sir, have you seen these two objects?" Chu Danqing placed the Goldseeker's Talisman and the embroidered shoe on the table. "I found them in a ruined temple on the mountain and on the path down."

The village chief showed no reaction to the Goldseeker's Talisman—but when he saw the embroidered shoe, sweat broke on his forehead.

"I found this shoe inside a coffin—only one shoe," Chu Danqing emphasized.

"I know what you're asking, young man," the village chief sighed. "A group of tomb robbers came to our village the other day."

"We were greedy and showed them the way."

"The tomb robbers never left. Strange things started happening—every night we hear crying, and knocking on doors."

"In the morning, bloodied handprints appear on the doors—but vanish when the sun rises."

Chu Danqing heard this, then asked: "Why not just blow these inhuman things to hell with explosives?"

He didn't know how to exorcise or purify spirits.

But he had experience dealing with such things without supernatural power.

As long as you're carbon-based—even ghosts or zombies—explosives could inflict massive damage.

Had Chu Danqing chosen a summoning path, he'd have become an explosives expert long ago, not a summoner.

"Easy for you to say," the village chief replied. "We're just a few old men here—we can't afford explosives."

"Besides, the nearest town is too far—we can't even get there." The old man wasn't foolish—he just lacked means.

"Pity," Chu Danqing murmured. "Do you want these two items?"

He treated them as quest items.

"Young man, you'd better burn them," the village chief laughed bitterly. "These things bring bad luck—I dare not touch them."

"I'll keep them—they'll be useful later," Chu Danqing said.

By "useful," he meant bait.

The village chief was about to speak further when a villager rushed in, panting: "More people are coming!"

They had no choice but to head to the village entrance to check.

After the village chief left, Chu Danqing took a rope and hung the embroidered shoe outside his door.

When he finished, he saw the village chief enter with a serious-looking middle-aged man.

The only unusual thing? The man wore iron shoes.

Each step clanked heavily.

Seeing Chu Danqing's action, the man froze, his expression turning grave and puzzled.

Chu Danqing followed his gaze to the shoe, then nodded politely.

"Young man, embroidered shoes come from tombs—hanging them at the door invites evil. Burn them," the man warned.

His first impression of Chu Danqing was one of warmth—he spoke out of kindness.

Only then did the village chief notice what Chu Danqing had done—he went pale, nearly collapsing.

He'd thought Chu Danqing was reasonable and easygoing—now he realized: you're the one who's trying to die first.

"Thanks for the warning. I'm trying to lure the original owner out."

"Join me?" Chu Danqing invited.

Since the man had warned him, he wasn't evil.

"Fine," the man said, heading toward Chu Danqing's room. "We're in the same room—we can watch each other's back."

He stepped inside—and stopped dead.

Four horses and three armored soldiers crowded the room—but the real shock was the three-meter-tall beast radiating a terrifying aura.

He immediately backed out, forcing a nervous laugh: "You don't need a watchdog."

The man wasn't afraid of people—he was afraid of Da Bao.

Da Bao looked too monstrous—he feared being eaten alive in his sleep.

"Got it. Call if you need me," Chu Danqing didn't press.

After the village chief settled the man, Chu Danqing went to visit him.

This time, he brought no Da Bao or beast-masked soldiers—only the Ghost-Mother and the Son of Heaven.

After talking, Chu Danqing learned the man's background.

The man was Zhong Ting, a Heir of the Kui Star, skilled in Kui Star's Kick.

His legs were built to crush evil things—he'd come chasing a corpse centipede.

"This place is truly a feng shui treasure," Chu Danqing remarked.

"It was ordinary until tomb robbers altered its layout—now it's a nexus of yin and evil," Zhong Ting sighed.

He'd studied the surroundings upon arrival and knew the village was the key to breaking the curse—hence his arrival.

He hadn't expected three other groups to arrive before him.

"Say, Master Zhong, can your Kui Star Kick kick explosives or artillery?" Chu Danqing asked curiously.

"Of course not," Zhong Ting replied. "Your beast-taming method can't compare to cannonballs, young Chu."

Chu Danqing nodded. "It can."

"?" Zhong Ting's face twisted in confusion—you don't follow the rules.

In all his years, he'd never met anyone like Chu Danqing.

"So—you handle evil spirits, evil spirits handle warlords, and warlords handle you," Chu Danqing logically deduced.

Zhong Ting fell silent.

They didn't say they lacked the ability to deal with ordinary people, only that their physical bodies were too fragile against bullets and gunpowder.

They weren't powerless against ordinary people—but their flesh was too fragile against bullets and explosives.

Gunpowder technology had exploded like spring bamboo shoots, while schools like Mountain Moving, Ridge Removing, Goldseeking, and Kui Star Kick remained stuck in the feudal era before the warlord conflicts.

Planes, tanks, cannons could crush them effortlessly.

Yet the great evils within tombs, empowered by supernatural force, could resist these weapons—and even overwhelm them with divine, terrifying power.

The Four Schools weren't choosing warlords—they were forced to serve them.

Warlords couldn't defeat great evils, but they could physically eliminate them.

"So why are you here?" Zhong Ting changed the subject, unwilling to discuss this further.

"Have you heard of Prince Yuanping?" Chu Danqing asked.

Zhong Ting relaxed—he'd finally reached his domain.

"Of course. He was the deposed heir of Emperor An of Kan."

"You've come to the right place. Rumor says he was buried in Cangmang Ancient Ridge."

"If you help me kill the corpse centipede, and I take its pearl, I'll help you find Prince Yuanping's tomb." Zhong Ting couldn't handle the centipede alone.

As Chu Danqing opened his mouth to reply, the Paradise's side quest appeared.

【Side Quest: Kill the Hundred-Legged Creature】

【Trial Difficulty: D-Rank (Normal)】

【Trial Reward: Paradise Points ×1000, Attribute Point +1】

【Trial Failure: Paradise Points -2000】

【101】 (End of Chapter)