Chapter 381: Why Aren't You Laughing?

On the other side, not everyone went to besiege Luo Er.

The old man's scheme was quite thorough; he deliberately left five men behind, with a clear target—the man in the house who seemed the weakest and whose aura was hidden, Yu Lin.

In their eyes, Yu Lin, short in stature, lacking the intimidation of a female giant, and seemingly under their vague protection, was undoubtedly the easiest soft target to crush.

He also carried the richest loot.

The five moved stealthily toward the house, using a half‑collapsed earthen wall for cover, exchanging glances and whispering rapid plans.

"Who goes in first?" a scarred man asked low, eyes flicking to the Wooden Door swaying slightly in the wind and rain.

The door hung ajar, steady firelight spilling out, yet it was unusually quiet.

"You're the strongest among us, you first?" a lanky tall man nudged the scarred man, his face full of urging and calculation:

"You lead the charge; the risk is greatest, and when we split the loot, you can take an extra share!"

"Right, right! Scar, you first!" the others quickly echoed, greed flashing in their eyes, yet none wanted to face the unknown danger first.

That woman is still there!

The scarred man hesitated, but thinking of the promise of an extra share, greed finally overrode caution, and he gritted his teeth:

"Fine! I'll go in first, you follow me! Don't damn mess up later!"

"Village Chief won't spare you!"

"Don't worry!" they whispered in unison, feral light flashing in their eyes.

After the discussion, the five emerged from behind the earthen wall, hunched, gripping their crude yet lethal weapons—Long Sword, iron fork—and rushed toward the ajar Wooden Door.

Their footsteps were perfectly masked by the pattering rain.

However, just as they were about to step through the doorway—

Neigh—!

A sharp, high‑pitched horse whinny, with a strange penetrating force, like an icy spear, suddenly pierced the rain curtain and stabbed into their ears!

The five bodies froze simultaneously, instinctively turning their heads together toward the source of the sound.

In the simple stable beside the side room, a sleek steed as black as ink stood silently.

It was tall and majestic, its ebony coat seeming to absorb all light under the faint sky, almost merging with the heavy darkness.

At this moment, it tilted its head slightly, its horse eyes unusually bright in the dark, staring unblinkingly at the five of them.

That gaze... was far from the simple bewilderment or wariness a beast should have.

Within it clearly reflected unabashed, lofty contempt, and a near‑human, icy sarcasm!

Seeing them look at it, the black horse's disdainful, mocking look seemed to deepen, even making one feel it was sneering at their stupidity and overconfidence.

Such naked contempt instantly ignited the already fierce fire in the five's hearts!

"Dammit!" the scarred man was the first to react, feeling greatly insulted, he shouted angrily, "You damned beast! How dare you look down on us?!"

"Buddies, can you tolerate this?!" another man flushed, brandishing his iron fork.

"Can't stand it! Even a beast dares such arrogance?!" the lanky tall man's eyes flashed with feral light:

"Kill it first! That way, we won't have that kid inside notice something wrong and ride away on it!"

"Right! Slaughter it! Skin it!" the others responded in chorus, instantly discarding their original target, their fury and murderous intent shifting to the "reckless" black horse.

The five immediately changed direction, snarling, raising their weapons, and strode toward Gai Yin in the stable.

Rain battered their snarling faces, making them appear even more ferocious.

Gai Yin, however, remained rooted, not even flicking his tail, calmly and with a hint of amusement watching the five ants approach, as if watching a clumsy farce.

In the five's eyes, the black horse's reaction was undoubtedly terrified, unable even to flee!

Truly stupid to the core!

"Die!" the scarred man charged ahead, a fierce glint in his eye, raising his cracked, inferior Long Sword and slashing with all his might at Gai Yin's slender neck! The others almost simultaneously swung their iron forks and hatchets!

Clang! Ding! Bang!

A rapid series of crisp, almost screeching metal clashes and shattering sounds erupted!

The expected spray of blood and flesh never materialized.

The five felt as if their weapons were striking against the eternal, unyielding Divine Iron!

An unimaginable, massive recoil surged back along the weapons, shattering their palms and numbing their arms!

Snap!

The rough iron tools and wooden handles in their hands, like rotten wood and withered grass, fractured and shattered the instant they touched the black horse's body! Iron shards and wood splinters mixed with rainwater and sprayed outward!

And the black horse—Gai Yin's sleek, oily coat—bore not even a single white mark!

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

The five remained frozen in their slashing stance, their snarling grins instantly locked.

"How... how is this possible?!" the lanky tall man's voice sharpened, his whole body trembling uncontrollably as he stared at the half‑broken wooden handle in his hand.

"Not good!" the scarred man reacted fastest, a chill rushing from his soles straight to the Heavenly Spirit Cover, his voice trembling:

"This horse... this horse is the real monster! We've provoked the wrong target! Run!!"

"Run! Go find the Village Chief!!" someone shouted hoarsely.

Survival instinct instantly overwhelmed everything; the five could no longer care about loot or face, dropping their broken weapons and turning to flee wildly toward the depths of the rain and the old man's direction!

However, just as they took their first step—

"Stop."

A detached voice, as if bearing ten thousand pounds of pressure, sounded suddenly deep within each of their souls.

"Did I let you go?"

The five's bodies were as if gripped by an invisible giant hand, instantly frozen in place, unable to move even an inch forward!

They struggled desperately, only to find they couldn't even lift a finger; an irresistible, terrifying pressure completely bound them!

Immediately after, an even stranger thing occurred— they terrifiedly discovered that their bodies were completely out of control, turning back stiffly inch by inch like rusted puppets, facing the direction of the stable.

In the stable, that magnificent black horse had already vanished.

In its place stood a young man cloaked in a jet‑black robe, his features so handsome they bordered on uncanny, a faint, almost imperceptible mischievous smile at the corner of his mouth, standing there silently.

Rain fell around him, as if separated by an invisible force field, unable to touch him at all.

The moment they saw that face, the five of them went blank, instantly devoured by boundless terror!

That face… although they had never seen it with their own eyes, it had long been imprinted indelibly on the ancient forbidden portrait passed down through the village and the stories handed from generation to generation!

"C... C... Gai Yin—?!"

The scarred Han man forced out a few broken syllables from his throat, like a dying wail, his eyes bulging as if about to pop out of their sockets, then his legs gave way; had it not been for that invisible force forcibly holding his posture, he would have collapsed to the ground.

The other four also wore blank, colorless faces, trembling like sifted chaff, unable to utter even a single sound.

Gai Yin heard his own name and the corner of his mouth widened a bit:

"Laugh, then? So you stopped laughing?"