Chapter 96: Evened Out (Fourth Update)

After leaving the village, the Old Mountain Runner moved his hatchet from his lower back to his side, ready to draw it at any moment.

He strode ahead and called out to Xu Yuan and the other three: “Keep your distance—five zhang away. Staying too long with me will let yin energy seep into your bodies.”

Fu Jingyu’s gaze grew peculiar; his experience paled beside Yan Lao and Lu Lao’s, and from the moment he first saw the Old Mountain Runner, he’d sensed something off—now he could no longer remain composed.

Xu Yuan fell back five zhang.

With the Old Mountain Runner leading, progress came naturally faster.

Earlier, Xu Yuan’s group had to detour around territories of head monsters, but the Old Mountain Runner’s route avoided all such territories entirely.

The deeper they ventured into the mountains, the more strange and malevolent spirits appeared.

Even without head monsters, the Old Mountain Runner himself gradually began to struggle.

Around mid-afternoon, Bai Laoyan stopped to catch his breath: “Let’s eat something—I’m too hungry to walk.”

Xu Yuan’s group was equally exhausted; Fu Jingyu sat down on a nearby rock, reached for his dried rations, and then the rock beneath him spoke: “Crouch down. Let me sit on your head too—then we’re even.”

Fu Jingyu leapt up in shock, but the Old Mountain Runner lunged over and pinned his shoulder down to the ground.

“Don’t run!”

Many who entered the mountains heard rocks speak and fled in terror.

But rocks were stubborn—they wouldn’t rest until whoever took advantage of them paid back in kind.

Within three li, they’d always be caught, then crushed under the rock’s weight, their skulls driven clean into their neck cavities!

Fu Jingyu knew this was no joke; he crouched there obediently, closed his eyes, and gritted his teeth.

The rock floated up, weighed Fu Jingyu’s mass, then settled onto his head with equal force.

Thud!

Fu Jingyu’s vision exploded with stars; a visible lump swelled rapidly atop his skull.

The buttocks are soft—but rocks are hard.

“I’ll let it go this time, for Bai Laoyan’s sake,” the rock rolled away.

Everyone exhaled quietly.

“How are you?” Xu Yuan asked, approaching.

Fu Jingyu was still dizzy, his head spinning as he replied: “I’m fine…”

Bai Laoyan hadn’t noticed the rock monster squatting beside him—now he felt awkward.

But the mountains teemed with malevolent spirits, countless varieties, and some were invisible to even the most experienced.

Xu Yuan offered dried meat to Bai Laoyan, who waved it off without accepting this so-called “kindness.”

Xu Yuan had pressured the old fox into joining—Bai Laoyan had agreed reluctantly, and his temper remained sour.

He took his own black bread and bit into it; Xu Yuan went aside to eat.

As he neared the end of his meal, Xu Yuan said to Fu Jingyu: “Once this matter’s done, why not set up a public office at Qihetai to buy valuable mountain materials?”

Wangxiang Village is closest—offer them a good price, or have them collect from surrounding villages and trade everything through the office.”

Hearing this, Bai Laoyan could no longer pretend not to hear.

Life in the mountains was harsh; villagers couldn’t leave, and every trade with merchants meant being exploited.

If they truly could trade with the Purification Office—especially if granted the authority to collect mountain goods on its behalf—it would be tremendous news for Wangxiang Village.

Bai Laoyan sneered: “Who can’t speak pretty words? Can two kids like you two make decisions on something this big?”

Xu Yuan only smiled, offering no rebuttal.

Yan Lao stepped forward at the right moment, pointing at Fu Jingyu: “His master is Deputy Commander Ma Tianshou of the Southern Bureau. Setting up an office would be a single word from him.”

Bai Laoyan grunted, saying nothing more.

After eating and resting briefly, they resumed their journey.

Bai Laoyan’s attitude, though not overt, had softened slightly.

“Reach Wuying Cha before nightfall—there’s a hut belonging to Gao Guanzi of Gao Family Village. We’ll spend the night there.”

Gao Guanzi was a mountain runner from Gao Family Village; some villages in the mountains were friendly, others hostile—Gao Family Village and Wangxiang Village had good relations.

If you entered a hut belonging to a hostile mountain runner, they’d eventually track you by scent—and you’d have to fight.

Throughout their journey, Xu Yuan’s group carried a quiet worry: Would they make it in time?

The Qin family had the Locust Witch guarding them—they might press on through the night.

But they couldn’t; even with Bai Laoyan leading, they dared not wander the mountains after dark.

Yet no one spoke of it—because saying it changed nothing.

…

Deep in the mountains flowed a black-brown river of locusts.

Countless locusts gathered, surging over mountains and crawling through gorges.

The Locust Witch lay comfortably on her descendants’ backs, needing not to move a muscle.

But Qin’s party could only trudge forward on foot.

They wanted to ride on the locusts too—but when Qin asked, the Locust Witch cracked her sharp mandibles and grinned darkly.

Qin dared not press further; he feared that if he did, his men would slowly vanish, devoured one by one.

Qin’s face was pale; his injuries from that battle had not fully healed.

One hand was wrapped in white cloth—its skin and flesh had been eaten away by that blade, leaving barely bone.

The party passed three ancient walnut trees, each as thick as two men could embrace, their branches heavy with white, brain-like kernels.

Ceng Si felt his scalp itch fiercely; he scratched hard, but it only grew worse…

The Locust Witch snorted: “If you scratch through your skull, your brains will hang up there too!”

Ceng Si jumped—he realized his scratching had torn his scalp open, blood streaming, his skull exposed!

The party hurried away from the three walnut trees; the Locust Witch glanced at the sky: “No rest tonight—we’ll reach Guanghuo Street by dawn.”

Qin nodded, then suddenly remembered something: “Will you protect us from dangers tonight, Elder?”

The Locust Witch glanced at Ceng Si and the others, a flicker of barely perceptible greed in her eyes: “Naturally.”

The party pressed on; night fell, and from every cold, shadowed corner, nameless evil things, unable to resist their hunger for flesh, reached out tentatively with clawed hands…

“Chachacha—”

The Locust Witch cast one glance—her swarm surged in, dragged out the malevolent thing, tore it apart, and devoured it.

Silence returned instantly.

Ceng Si and the others exhaled quietly.

…

Xu Yuan’s group hurried as fast as they could, finally reaching Gao Guanzi’s hut before nightfall.

It was originally a pit; Gao Guanzi had piled branches over it, covered them with dry leaves, and added camouflage.

As cramped as Bai Laoyan’s hut, it reeked of chicken droppings.

Bai Laoyan muttered: “This old bastard’s still a slob.”

Everyone found a place to sit.

Xu Yuan offered more dried meat to Bai Laoyan—this time, the Old Mountain Runner didn’t refuse.

After eating for a while, Xu Yuan asked: “How many head monsters does the Locust Witch have? What tricks do they use? Any weaknesses?”

(End of Chapter)