Chapter 667

Pan Yun, clutching her chest in agony, was instantly turned into a doll amid the fire dragon, her eyes vacant, her mouth stretched to her ears, staring at them blankly.

Qu Le and others standing nearby immediately attacked the two.

Zhang Weiyi shouted: "Pan Yun—where are you?"

He then yelled to Xue Shao: "Only those who spoke in the shadows have been copied by it—use a voice-transmission talisman now and tell everyone who never spoke to stay silent! Be careful of Qu Le, Wang Cong, Seeing Miao Zhen, and Pan Yun—and also us two!"

Everyone vanished, leaving only those holding hands together.

So Pan Yun was startled to see Xue Shao suddenly appear before her: "How did you find me?"

Xue Shao: "I saw light over here."

Pan Yun looked up, looked around, looked in every direction: "Where's the light?"

Xue Shao smiled at her, silent.

Pan Yun: "It doesn't matter. But what about Qu Le?"

Xue Shao: "You worry too much. I don't think he's a problem—just like you wouldn't dare let a whole army or a group of heroes walk out on their own."

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow, looking at him, silent.

Xue Shao gave her a slight nod and praised: "Well done."

Pan Yun lowered her gaze: "Let's go. Let's see what the Japanese Shinto is like."

Xue Shao followed her.

The two walked side by side, relaxed, their hands not touching, yet perfectly synchronized in step despite the pitch-black darkness; countless fields stretched around them, ridges rising and falling, yet they walked as if on flat ground.

Pan Xiaohei stealthily poked his head out from Pan Yun's collar, lifted his neck, and met Xue Shao's gaze.

He no longer hid, scrambling out of her arms in a few quick moves to crouch on her shoulder.

Ah, compared to her arms, he clearly preferred her shoulder—it was more comfortable to sit on!

Xue Shao looked away and said: "Ahead is Shankou Hall."

Pan Yun kept walking: "I didn't expect them to include Shankou Hall too—after all, there are many living people inside. Aren't they afraid the army will get lost, wander in, and kill them all?"

Xue Shao: "The Japanese are nearly all soldiers. With low population, recent years have seen constant warfare between regions, so conscription is mandatory—men serve as soldiers in war, civilians in peace. Didn't most of Takeda Hisanori's troops just get recruited recently?"

If they truly got lost and entered Shankou Hall, Takeda Hisanori would be defeated.

Pan Yun: "True. The townspeople know the city's layout. With equal weapons and strength, they have the advantage."

It seems Dainai Jiaohong really wants to annihilate this army that brought him such shame."

As they spoke, the two had crossed Tian Ye's fields and stepped onto a hard, packed road.

Pan Yun glanced down at the compacted ground, raised her hand, and a lantern appeared in her palm.

Pan Yun held the lantern before Xue Shao: "Do you have a fire-starter? Mine ran out, and I forgot to refill it."

Xue Shao pulled out a fire-starter, blew it alight, and bent to light the lantern: "When was this lantern made?"

Pan Yun's gaze sharpened; her left hand slashed hard—a surge of Yuan force sliced past Xue Shao's head, colliding with something in the dark with a loud bang.

Xue Shao didn't look up, lit the wick, then closed the fire-starter and raised his head.

Bang—a pitch-black, four-limbed… human crashed to the ground, then scrambled up quickly, claws digging into the earth, head tilted back, eyes bulging as he glared at Pan Yun and Xue Shao.

Pan Yun handed the lantern to Xue Shao, who took it and stepped back two paces.

Pan Yun stepped forward two paces; a sword materialized in her hand: "Are you human?"

The creature snarled at Pan Yun, eyes flashing with cunning, then sprang forward with all four limbs.

Pan Yun slashed at it, only realizing behind it had a tail: "It has a tail—and it's not short!"

Xue Shao, hearing this, raised the lantern to peer closely; after a moment, he murmured: "It looks so much like a dog… but it's definitely a human face. It's too fast—I can't tell clearly…"

It was fast, but Pan Yun was faster—her form blurred into afterimages.

Hearing Xue Shao couldn't see clearly, she drove her sword straight through it, pinning it to the ground: "Now can you see?"

Xue Shao immediately stepped forward with the lantern, examined it closely, and exclaimed: "It really is a dog—human face, dog body. What kind of monster is this?"

Pan Yun: "Could it just be an incomplete transformation?"

Xue Shao pointed at it: "Is this transformation?"

Under their gaze, it slowly turned to ash, then scattered with the wind.

Pan Yun's gaze hardened; she pulled her sword free: "I never expected this…"

Pan Yun turned her head to the black cat on her shoulder: "You've seen more—do you know what this is?"

"Of course," Pan Xiaohei said weakly, still dizzy from her speed: "A vengeful spirit. I'll check—this place seems called Tengu."

Pan Yun frowned: "Is this thing easy to cultivate?"

"Not easy."

Pan Yun relaxed: "Good. Let's move faster—draw all the fire onto us. That'll reduce the pressure on others."

In truth, their pressure could not possibly decrease.

Because every few steps, they encountered dolls transformed from Pan Yun, Qu Le, Seeing Miao Zhen, and others.

Seeing Miao Zhen, upon seeing herself face-to-face, froze for a moment; her companions Miao He and Tao Yanbai instinctively stepped back, then raised their lanterns to scrutinize her face.

Seeing Miao Zhen: "…We've been together from the start. You don't doubt the one across from you is fake—you doubt me?"

The other Seeing Miao Zhen: "She's fake. She's been hiding beside you since the beginning, trying to manipulate you."

Miao He rolled his eyes: "I don't believe either of you. Here's a test—answer quickly. Whoever answers right is the real one."

Seeing Miao Zhen stayed silent.

The other Seeing Miao Zhen stayed silent.

"Two bowls of noodles—one spicy, one not—which one do you choose?"

The other Seeing Miao Zhen answered instantly: "The spicy one!"

Miao He cried happily: "Correct answer!"

Then Miao He and Tao Yan Bai struck her together; although Seeing Miao Zhen was speechless, she also immediately joined in.

The opposite Seeing Miao Zhen, taken by surprise, blocked with her sword and cried out: "Little Xiao Shishu, save me! I answered correctly—why are you attacking me?"

"Because the real Seeing Miao Zhen would never answer such a stupid question!" Miao He jabbed her sword repeatedly: "I told you to stop lying, I told you to stop lying!"

The opposite Seeing Miao Zhen finally called for Pan Yun—but before Pan Yun arrived, it had already turned into a doll.

The three faced the suddenly appearing Pan Yun with caution, stepping back in unison.

Pan Yun frowned at them: "What are you doing? A doll trapped you all?"

Miao He held her breath and asked: "Little Xiao Shishu, I have a question for you too—if I and Seeing Miao Zhen both fell into the water, who would you save first?" (End of Chapter)