Chapter 740: Nightmares and the Bad News from Bloodtooth Steer

A gloomy, deserted Shanglu.

Scattered, dying campfires distributed across the open ground near the Shanglu.

And the limbs of young people strewn about the edges of the fires.

Jier stood there empty-handed, looking around; he discovered his field of vision was limited, with places slightly further away obscured by the thick curtain of night, and only here by the fires could he see things with any clarity.

"Who killed these young people? Was it me?"

He felt somewhat bewildered, raising his hands, only to find that he was wearing thin clothing and his palms were covered in sticky bloodstains, while faint wails echoed near his ears.

Jier felt a bit nervous; could it be that he had killed so many people? If that were the case, would he be wanted, caught, and beheaded?

He did not want to die; there were still many places in this vast world he had not yet visited.

In a panic, Jier rubbed his hands hard against his body, attempting to wipe away the bloodstains and cover up the grave crime he had committed.

But his thin, long-sleeved clothing was already covered in bloodstains, yet the blood on his palms had not diminished in the slightest.

This made him even more panicked.

Jier suddenly picked up a piece of a torso from the ground and hurriedly threw it into the fire, attempting to cover up the evidence of his crime. Anyway, there was no one else around; if the bodies of the killed were gone, he could say whatever he wanted about the blood on his hands.

He would just say it was rabbit blood stained while Hunting.

Whether others believed it or not, as long as he believed it himself, that was enough; without evidence, what could others do to him? Right!

But the thing he feared most happened; just after he had picked up two broken arm fragments and thrown them into the fire, the owner of the arm—a complete head lying right next to the broken arm fragments—opened its mouth.

"Save... me, save me."

Jier glanced at it, and although flustered, he still responded crossly: "You are already dead, there is no saving you, hurry up and shut your mouth."

But the dead head did not believe it, opening its mouth to say: "I... I am still alive, please, save... me."

Jier walked over, reached out with his blood-stained palm, and scooped the air under the head's severed neck, then showed the other his empty palm: "Look, a living person's head has a body underneath; you don't even have a body, how could you be alive?"

"It's all your fault, you didn't... protect... us well."

"Us? Who are you people?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Jier looked sharply around and discovered that beside the scattered fires, there were more broken body parts. Those who had already died were either struck by arrows, like hedgehogs or porcupines, or only had half a body; like the person in front of him, heads being cut off was actually rare.

This sight made Jier sway in a daze, nearly falling into the fire beside him to be roasted alive.

"These people, did I kill them all? That's impossible, why would I kill you?"

Seemingly having heard Jier's words, the dead people slightly further away all spoke up one after another, asking Jier to come and save them.

This made Jier feel a sense of the grotesque: "You are all dead, how can I save you? The blood in your corpses has all drained out and congealed, what can I do?"

Jier picked up the dead head beside him, held it by its hair, and said to the other pleading dead people: "Look at yourselves, you are all in about the same state; even if I used needle and thread to sew the corpses back together, it would be useless. Besides, I don't have any needle and thread."

"Please, I beg you."

"I don't want to die—"

"I'm still alive! I'm still alive!"

Jier looked toward the fellow who claimed to be alive and found that the person still looked whole, but when he hurried over to take a look, he discovered that this person had seven or eight holes in their body large enough to fit two or three fingers; clearly, they were also beyond saving.

"You are dead too."

"I don't believe it!"

Jier curled his lip, helped this person sit up, and turned their neck, letting them look down at the seven or eight holes in their own torso.

"Tell me, can a living person have so many holes in them? You are dead!"

This fellow gritted their teeth, shaking their head from side to side in disbelief, while also questioning Jier: "Then if we are all dead, why are you fine? Those guys couldn't possibly have let you go!"

"Those guys? Who?"

Jier shook this fellow, but the fellow suddenly looked behind Jier, their face full of terror!

Jier whipped his head around and saw a figure shambling toward him, wearing greasy, filthy animal fur that had likely not been tanned much, just simply draped over their body as clothing.

Tall and thin, with an extremely gaunt face, their cheeks looking sunken and deformed.

"Shop Assistant, who are you?"

Jier asked tentatively, while cautiously standing up to face the other.

But the shambling figure did not answer, only hissing something low in their throat, walking toward Jier with unwavering determination.

"Keep your distance, don't come any closer, friend, or I won't be polite."

Jier clenched his pair of foul-smelling, blood-stained fists and gestured at the other, but the other drew closer. At the same time, the bloodstains and filth on Jier's fists actually began to squirm, twisting into the shape of human faces, and the opened mouths also emitted the same low hissing as the figure shambling closer.

"What kind of monster is this!"

Jier was startled and gave up the idea of using his fists to hit anyone; he looked around, then hid directly behind a fire, using the fire as an obstacle between himself and the approaching figure.

But that figure walked straight into the fire without hesitation; even though their body caught fire, they didn't care, suddenly stretching out their arms to pounce on Jier.

Jier shrieked and dodged; fortunately, the other's movements were slow and mechanical, and they were no match for his own agility.

But constantly dodging was not a solution, so Jier had to pick up a severed leg from the ground—he didn't know whose it was—and gripping the ankle, he used the limb as a club, swinging it around toward the head of the attacking monster.

Although the thigh was gaunt, it was still solid, and with a 'bang', it knocked the monster attacking Jier to the ground.

Jier did not stop, as he knew a single strike was not enough to stop anything. So he repeatedly struck the fallen enemy with the severed leg until the leg in his hand tore apart at the knee into two halves, and the head of the fellow on the ground was also smashed.

"Hoo—hoo, hoo—hoo."

Jier panted heavily, leaning on his knees to catch his breath, but clearly, he had no such leisure.

Because outside the surrounding fires, one monster after another shambled out from the darkness. These fellows moved stiffly, and like the corpses on the ground, they all had more or less suffered some fatal wounds.

It was just unclear why these fellows could walk, while the weak fellows on the ground who only knew how to call for help could only cry out.

"You've got to be kidding, more?"

One was already so difficult to deal with; Jier truly had no other choice but to use his agile movements to lead these stiff-moving fellows to keep moving through the fires.

Fortunately, these monsters didn't know how to protect themselves and often charged straight at Jier, causing their greasy Beast Skin Clothing to be ignited by the flames as they ran through the fires.

Turning into burning fire-people.

But the dead do not roll about or wail just because they are being burned; after these strange fellows turned into fire-men, they still shambled straight toward Jier with unhurried, mechanical steps to grab him.

But Jier would not just let them grab him so easily; he had no choice but to lead these fellows in circles around the scattered piles of fire, hoping the flames would eventually burn them to death.

While running around the fire piles, Jier noticed that the surrounding darkness was not entirely empty; on the north side of the fire piles was a Shanglu, and vaguely, a dense Shulin could be seen.

But Jier only glanced at it before shivering, as if something even more terrifying was waiting there for him to approach.

"Can't go near, can't go near!"

Jier said this to himself.

On the south side of the fire piles was a small stream, and a tall, thin man with a pale face stood on the opposite bank; every time Jier was closest to it, it would beckon for Jier to come over.

"Come over for what?"

Unexpectedly, Jier's shouting actually received a response.

"Come over... let us... duel."

"Then who are you? Why should I duel you?"

"I... am who? I am... who? Hehe, hehe, you... don't... know... right?"

Only then did Jier remember; although that person's face was pale, he still had a vague impression, as if it were a fellow nicknamed the King of White Wall.

Should he duel it? Wasn't that person his defeated opponent?

Defeated... opponent?

Jier realized something at this moment, and he almost tripped and fell from a lapse in concentration, nearly getting caught by the strange fellows chasing behind him.

"Right, these people are Bandit. They are my defeated opponents, yes, all people I killed."

With this realization, Jier looked dazedly at the place where he was currently staying; wasn't it the very place where that night's battle occurred?

But how did he return here?

"Heehee."

A mocking, soft giggling sound was heard by Jier, but he could not find who was laughing at him.

"Who? Come out! Where is someone hiding and giggling? Stand out in front of me, and see if I don't beat you flat."

Jier pretended to be very formidable, even though he was currently being chased in a disheveled state by more than a dozen figures behind him.

"Woo—heehee."

The snickering sound started up again.

Jier suddenly looked toward the place where the laughter came from; it was an unlucky fellow lying on the ground, broken into two pieces. The sound came from the chest area of the prone figure.

Jier was not polite; he ran over and kicked out, sending the poor half-bodied fellow flying, while the other's broken upper body still begged Jier not to hurt it.

But Jier's target was not that poor, weak fellow.

Beneath the broken half-body was pressed a fist-sized, white, plump Mushroom, and the cap emitted a greenish glow, looking like no ordinary thing.

"What kind of ghost thing? Daring to laugh at your master Jier!"

Jier raised his foot, intending to stomp this Mushroom that laughed at him flat; the audacious thing actually dared to laugh at him—although he was a bit disheveled now, he was not someone a Mushroom could mock.

But when Jier stepped down, he stepped into empty air.

The moment he stepped down, the Mushroom stretched out a pair of chubby palms, lifted itself up, and revealed several legs and feet made of mycelium. Having many legs was nimble; several legs took steps simultaneously, dodging Jier's sole just in time.

But the angry Jier still made the fist-sized Mushroom dare not mock him anymore; the cap on its head emitted an even brighter light, and the mysterious, glowing patterns produced a strange effect while swaying.

Affected by this, Jier swayed and tottered as if he were drunk, and the eerie, terrifying surroundings became less clear. Even the painful wails emitted by the human faces formed by bloodstains on a pair of blood-smeared palms became blurry and indistinct.

Just as more than a dozen stiffly approaching fellows were about to pounce on Jier, who was standing in place.

Jier's figure blurred for a moment and vanished.

This made the stiff figures at the scene very angry, and they roared and beat each other one after another.

And the pale-faced figure in the distance also let out a roar.

In the surrounding gloomy darkness, more roaring sounds arose.

Only the broken corpse pieces beside the fire piles began to sob in low voices: "Save us, save us."

"I beg you, Knight Jier."

"Knight Jier."

It was weak beyond measure.

He opened his eyes abruptly.

Jier saw the ceiling of an unfamiliar Tent.

The unfamiliar environment made him feel exceptionally uneasy; not knowing if it was the events he just experienced that made him tense, Jier opened his palm, and the Hunting Sword stood up directly from the ground beside him, then the blade unsheathed itself, spinning as it flew into Jier's hand.

"Phew, was, was it a dream? It was actually a nightmare; how long has it been since I had one."

Seemingly having a reliable weapon in hand, Jier's consciousness came back online, and he remembered that he was in his newly bought single Tent.

At this time, the sounds of people talking, walking, and hawking outside the Tent entered his ears.

No, only now did he recover from the 'noise' he had subconsciously ignored due to his tension. His body and mind gradually calmed down.

Realizing he had a nightmare, Jier frowned. If it were a nightmare from his previous life, one could say it was due to excessive life pressure, physical fatigue, and his brain refusing to rest while sleeping.

But this was a different world with all kinds of magical powers; Jier, who rarely dreamed, let alone had nightmares, had to take this matter seriously.

The last time he had a nightmare was when he killed many who had surrendered in Pine Needle Town.

That was when he was undergoing a trial, and there was a strange, giant Mushroom in the nightmare that saved the day. He frowned, remembering that there was also a Mushroom in this nightmare, but it was a bit different from the last time.

He recalled the events in the Yinying Mijing of the Great Bird Deity, and at this moment, he felt he should deal with those fellows entangling him as soon as possible.

"Haunting, bah."

Jier spat, feeling that those detestable fellows caused trouble for the people when they were alive, and entangled him even after death; they truly had no positive effect and only did disgusting things.

Getting up, he poured some clean water from the Water bottle into a small Wooden Basin to wash up, and Jier walked out of the Tent.

Outside his single Tent, it was no longer the lonely, solitary one from yesterday evening.

The efficiency of the "Starry Sky" tent general store is no joke; after the purchase contract was settled, they delivered five designed, simple tents intermittently that very evening.

Each of these tents can easily house about twenty people; their capacity is not small, and naturally, the footprint they occupy is not small either.

The first tent was built not far from Jier's own tent, specifically for the use of the wounded who have yet to recover, and of course, their relatives or friends who are accompanying them to provide care also live there.

The tents delivered subsequently are for the use of the Armed Civilians under Jier who are responsible for fighting, serving as their own separate quarters.

There were exactly four, distributed to the four squads of Armed Civilians to use.

To boost everyone's motivation, Jier announced after returning last night that whoever lives in a tent is responsible for its assembly and disassembly. This applies not just now, but will continue until a suitable settlement is found.

It is already early morning now; Jier was busy very late last night, but fortunately, after he became a Knight-rank Warrior, the amount of sleep and rest he requires has decreased significantly. He does not know if it is the unique effect of Life Energy or an improvement in sleep efficiency that has caused his daily sleep requirement to shorten.

Chewing on dry, hard Monster Meat Jerky, Jier found Bata'er Jiaoshi, who was leading the believers in prayer early in the morning.

These days, Bata'er Jiaoshi has been lacking Nongshen Believer Divine Power due to treating the wounded, so whenever the timing is right, he gathers that group of Nongshen Believers under his command—whose sincerity is unknown—to perform group Prayer together.

Jier knows that this behavior is very helpful for Priests to recover Divine Power; this can be seen from the fact that Bata'er Jiaoshi alone was able to handle so many wounded people before.

"Bataer, has Xueya Site returned? He hadn't returned yet when I went to sleep last night."

Jier asked his companion for news.

Bata'er Jiaoshi lifted his Amber Metal Long Staff and pointed the staff at Jier's own carriage: "He hasn't been back long. He looked very exhausted and went back to the carriage to rest."

After the Priest finished speaking, he looked at Jier strangely: "Your complexion is poor; is it because you didn't rest well? Jier, you must maintain your state; don't forget what your mission is."

Jier gave a perfunctory reply. He knew his poor state right now was not because he hadn't rested well, nor was it because his body was unwell; it was simply that he was being pestered by those guys he had killed with his own hands previously.

Fortunately, he has a way to solve it.

Bidding farewell to the Priest, Jier came to the side of his carriage. Worried that Xueya Site might be disheveled while resting, he used his fingers to knock on the wooden side panel of the carriage: "Xueya Site, have you rested yet?"

"Oh, my friend, I've already heard about what you did at the gambling Fighting Arena last night on my way back."

The curtain of the carriage was lifted from the inside, and Xueya Site walked out with a face full of fatigue.

He sat down heavily on the driver's seat and patted the other spot beside him, signaling for Jier to sit up there and talk as well.

"You're so well-informed?"

"You should say that there isn't a piece of news in Dorn Town that can't be bought with a mug of ale. Haha."

Xueya Site picked up his waterskin and poured some fresh water into his mouth.

Jier sniffed and discovered that on Xueya Site's body, there was not only the heavy scent of ale and strong liquor, but also a fragrance belonging to a woman.

He didn't know how this guy went about gathering information last night.

"Tell me, what information did you manage to gather?"

Hearing Jier bring up the mission, Xueya Site reined in his smile and said to Jier in a lowered voice: "Bata'er Jiaoshi won't be happy; I heard some bad news related to him."

"Related to him? Bad news?"

Jier pondered: "Is it about Borisfa City?"

Xueya Site nodded: "Very bad. And the news is very chaotic. I heard at least four different terrifying rumors about Borisfa City."

"No matter how many there are, tell me, what exactly happened there."

Jier said as such.

"As you wish."

Xueya Site leaned against the support pole of the carriage canopy behind him and said.

Jier frowned and began to listen to this chaotic and terrible news.