Chapter 63: Tiger-Spirit Possession: The Protective Wooden Tablet

Last night, a Void Charm fed on living people; the scene was bloody, and the wild dogs outside the house barked incessantly.

Originally, such a noisy scene would have drawn the attention of the neighbors.

However, Mou Laoyao was stingy and wouldn't give the wild dogs any leftovers, so the dogs had been howling for most of the night, and everyone had grown accustomed to it.

"Mou Laoyao brought this on himself!"

The neighbors sighed endlessly, and looking at the distraught Mou Laoyao, they shook their heads one after another.

The Constables dragged the corpses out of the house, each one vomiting until their faces turned pale and their legs went weak.

According to information Constable Liu privately disclosed to Zhou You, Mou Xiaoli and his mother had their internal organs and brains hollowed out; every tender part of their bodies had been eaten clean, leaving only a layer of skin on the corpses.

The dietary habits of a Void Charm are vastly different from those of humans, as it specifically chooses to bite into slippery, delicious, and pungent parts like internal organs and brains.

Zhou You frowned slightly, feeling fortunate that he had prepared Evil-Warding Pills for his parents early on.

If the Void Charm had snuck into the house last night, his parents would likely not have been spared if not for the protection of the Evil-Warding Pills.

Thinking about it now, the price of 100 taels per pill was not expensive; after all, it could save a life.

"Young Master Zhou, it is not convenient for me to disclose too much about this matter; you will understand once you return to the martial arts hall."

Constable Liu said in a low voice before taking his leave.

The implication was that the martial arts hall also had a deep understanding of the situation regarding Void Charms.

Zhou You was lost in thought; the situation with Void Charms was kept secret from the Commoners, but the City Gate Guards and the martial arts hall both knew about it.

It seems there are rules that exist beneath the surface of this world!

"Father, Mother, I am returning to the martial arts hall; please take care of your safety at home."

Although that Void Charm had already been killed by Zhou You, there was no guarantee that a second one wouldn't appear, so he had to be on guard.

At both ends of this street, City Gate Guards had already entered one after another, setting up surveillance in every corner.

They did not know the Void Charm was dead, guessing that the creature was hiding nearby after eating, treating this neighborhood as a sheep pen.

Whenever it felt hungry, it would dash out to catch a living person to gnaw on, which was convenient and safe.

The City Gate Guards were waiting for the rabbit to hit the tree, intending to seize the opportunity to slay this Void Charm.

It is foreseeable that for a long time to come, the vicinity will be safer than ever before.

On his way to the martial arts hall, Zhou You ran into Song Fugui, who was selling oil on the street, and chatted with him for a bit.

The tragedy at Mou Laoyao's house had also spread elsewhere, but it did not cause much of a stir.

Ever since refugees from Su Cheng swarmed in, vicious cases of murder and robbery had emerged one after another.

According to the official statement, this time it was bandits using a woman as bait to enter private homes at night to rob and kill; city residents should learn a lesson and not take in strangers of unknown origin.

"Young Master Zhou, I heard that the one who met with misfortune was your neighbor; it was truly miserable."

Without realizing it, Song Fugui's form of address for Zhou You had also changed.

He knew that Zhou You was now a formal Disciple of the martial arts hall, not the same as before, so he was more respectful and polite when facing him.

"You should also be careful; the city is not peaceful, and there are some places that are too dangerous to go."

Within Gongliang City, large areas were occupied by Su Cheng refugees, with slums springing up like bamboo shoots after a rain.

These slums were dens of filth and vice, and had even spawned several foreign gangs that were fiercer and more ruthless than the local Wild Fox Gang or Crazy Horse Gang.

There were often rumors of city residents passing by being lured by villains and dragged into the slums, disappearing without a trace.

"Men are slaughtered, bled, and made into dried meat; women are ravaged in every way and reduced to tools for bearing children."

Song Fugui's face turned pale as he spoke, still shaken with fear, "I don't dare to walk through there; my life is what matters."

"Business isn't easy to do either, right?"

Zhou You asked politely.

"Thanks to the care of your father and mother, business has been good recently."

Previously, Song Fugui would deliver oil to the house regularly at cost price, which left a very good impression on Zhou Laodie.

After Zhou Laodie was promoted, he recommended quite a bit of business to him, which could be considered returning the favor.

The two chatted for a moment before parting ways.

Zhou You returned to the martial arts hall and found Lu Qiang at the first opportunity.

"Big Senior Brother, a murder case happened next door to my house, and I suspect it is the same kind as 'Fang Guiqi'."

Hearing the name 'Fang Guiqi', Lu Qiang's expression became serious, "Tell me in detail."

Zhou You skipped the process of him killing the Void Charm and focused on describing the cause and effect of the tragedy at Mou Laome's house.

"Lust-blinded, opening the door to invite thieves—courting death!"

After listening, Lu Qiang sighed, "Zhou You, you did the right thing; that woman was not a good person, no..."

He paused and said, "In fact, she wasn't even a human at all."

"As expected, Big Senior Brother, my guess was correct; she was a Void Charm."

Lu Qiang was not surprised that Zhou You could say the words "Void Charm," as Zhou You had been present last time and had even faced the Void Charm's attack directly.

"This Void Charm was smarter than Fang Guiqi; it possessed a woman and used beauty as bait to lure people in, mixing into a Commoner's home to eat people."

Lu Qiang shook his head as he spoke, "Fang Guiqi was not an isolated case; recently, more and more Void Charms have snuck into the city."

In Gongliang City these days, hundreds of bloody incidents, both large and small, have broken out, and there have been quite a few homicide cases.

Void Charms hide under human skin, killing a few people to fill their stomachs during the chaos, making them very difficult to distinguish.

"Big Senior Brother, my parents are elderly; please give me some guidance on how to protect them safely?"

Zhou You's attitude was sincere, and he asked him for advice respectfully.

A loyal and filial person is the easiest to gain favor.

After all, Lu Qiang was regarded as half a son by Wang Jianxiong precisely because he served his master like his own father, a sense of filial piety known to all.

Zhou You's first reaction to hearing about danger was to be anxious for his parents, which made Lu Qiang very appreciative.

"No need to worry, the situation in the city has not deteriorated to an irredeemable state."

"The Martial Arts Hall Wooden Plaque can deter petty thieves and spies; as for this murder case drawing the City Gate Guard to the hall, the neighborhood is actually safer now, the only thing that needs to be guarded against is..."

Lu Qiang nodded and said, "That Void Phantom is still Zang in the shadows, looking for an opportunity to hunt."

He seemed to have made up his mind, raising his hand to take a smooth wooden plaque, "I will add an insurance policy for you."

As soon as he finished speaking, a roar erupted from Lu Qiang's throat, his power hummed and vibrated, and the pores all over his body opened like sluice gates.

"Qi and Blood Expansion."

Zhou You's eyelids twitched twice as he felt a dangerous aura rushing toward his face.

Lu Qiang was a Qi and Blood martial artist; in a state of full explosive power, he could easily deal a crushing, destructive blow to him.

After he suddenly exploded with Qi and blood, air currents darted out, circling his fingertips to form tiger-stripe patterns, appearing iron-gray.

Tiger Aura, he is manifesting Tiger Aura!

Zhou You recognized it; Lu Qiang's Qi and blood externalization to condense Tiger Aura was dozens of times stronger than his own half-baked level.

The fingertips coated in Tiger Aura touched the wooden board, and the wood was as fragile as bean dregs, with wood shavings flying everywhere with a rustle.

The material of this wooden board was tough, and even a bone-chopping knife could not easily cut through it.

"Jian Xiong Martial Arts Hall!"

Lu Qiang carved the four large characters with his fingertips in one breath, and all the Tiger Aura on his fingertips flowed into the grooves of the characters.

This wooden plaque hummed and shook twice, eventually settling into stillness.

Zhou You was shocked inside, already knowing that this wooden plaque was an incredible treasure.

The four large characters were all condensed from Tiger Aura, a magical treasure that naturally restrains Void Phantoms.

"Many thanks, Senior Brother. If you don't mind, please accept this to moisten your throat."

Zhou You pulled two wine jars from behind his back; they were exactly the Tiger Bone Wine he had purchased.

Seeing it was Tiger Bone Wine, the corners of Lu Qiang's eyes revealed a smile; this Junior Brother was quite sensible, making it worth the effort of spending his Qi and blood to carve a wooden plaque for him.