Chapter 216: The Bustling Village of Mo Cun (Guaranteed 1st Update, Autumn Subscription)

As Ma Ling'er'er's head-balloon surged toward Fang Yue, a faint black thread coiled around the neck of the 【Great-Head Blood Dog】 that had sensed something, and next instant, the 【Blood-Head Great Dog】 exploded with a bang, leaving no trace of corpse or bone.

"She can't control it!"

The four black-robed figures of Mo Cun wore grim expressions.

Now, they all felt something was wrong.

The royal bloodline's control over 【Wu Ji】 was astonishingly low.

Even after 【Wu Ji】 was removed, it still subtly influenced her, driving her to hunt the final cursed target.

It was as if she had been controlled by 【Wu Ji】 in reverse.

Too weak…

Though she truly possessed royal blood, she was far too weak!

Just what is she…?

Had they not been certain Ma Ling'er'er possessed royal blood, they might have suspected her of being an impostor.

"... What do we do?"

"Let… her… act. Break the obsession."

As the black-robed figures communicated, Ma Ling'er'er's head-balloon slammed straight into Fang Yue's skull.

The next moment, Fang Yue's head stretched horizontally into a rectangle, then rapidly reshaped into the likeness of a human head—clearly Ma Ling'er'er's.

At this point, the black-robed figures were certain Fang Yue was dead beyond doubt.

But then, they all suddenly widened their eyes.

For Ma Ling'er'er, propelled by a surge of energy erupting from within the man, was violently ejected from his body, reforming outside as a head-balloon once more.

"How is this possible!?"

The four black-robed figures were stunned, pupils contracting sharply.

One black-robed figure, so shocked he lost control, involuntarily severed his link to Ma Ling'er'er.

"Failed?"

"A mere human?"

The black-robed figures simply could not accept this reality.

When had the royal bloodline ever been this weak?

A mere human! Could break through the royal bloodline's assault!

The leader of the black-robed figures grew pale.

At that moment, Ma Ling'er'er snapped back to awareness.

She stared in shock at Fang Yue, who had expelled her and was still fleeing.

Her face twisted in rage; she let out a shrill scream, and her head-balloon surged wildly after Fang Yue.

As she chased and he fled, Mo Cun ahead drew ever closer.

"No!"

"Stop!"

"Royal Lord, do not cross that line!!"

Three of them turned pale, screaming inwardly.

But Ma Ling'er'er ignored them utterly, her eyes fixed on only one target.

"I must kill him—I feel I must kill him!!"

Ma Ling'er'er did not know why she must do this; she only knew a voice inside her demanded she kill Fang Yue, kill the failed 【Wu Ji】 target!

Watching Ma Ling'er'er lose all reason, the leader of the black-robed figures shifted his expression several times, then growled: "Prepare… the ritual!"

The other two black-robed figures, and the one who had just reestablished the link, instantly paled.

"But…"

"Listen… to… me."

"... Yes!"

The three black-robed figures responded, their bodies trembling slightly as patterns emerged across their skin—crisscrossing lines that converged into the Wu Yu tribe's clan emblem.

At that instant, Fang Yue had already dashed into Mo Cun, and Ma Ling'er'er followed close behind, about to cross the Life and Death Line!

"Hurry!"

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

The three black-robed figures exploded simultaneously, dissolving into a storm of black particles that vanished in an instant.

And in the next breath, they reappeared synchronously around Ma Ling'er'er's head-balloon.

Vast quantities of black particles transformed into chains, wrapping Ma Ling'er'er in layer upon layer, and amid her shrieks, solidified into a thick iron cocoon that slammed against Mo Cun's Life and Death Line with a crash.

Hum!!

The semi-transparent barrier that had appeared once before reemerged in midair.

The dense script of Ancient Script glowed faintly, then faded quickly.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The iron cocoon crashed into Mo Cun; its outer shell of chains shattered and fell away, vanishing instantly.

Inside, the head-balloon now lay dormant, floating gently like a true balloon above Mo Cun.

Suddenly, as if drawn by something, the head-balloon drifted toward one direction.

That direction was unmistakably where the black-robed figures stood.

Around the black-robed figure lay four shriveled black robes, fallen to the ground.

Five black-robed figures… only this Messenger Group Chief Captain remained.

Even so, the Messenger Group Chief Captain still harbored deep concern.

The royal family member's sudden assault on Mo Cun's barrier, even with three messengers sacrificed to hold it, inevitably left openings—unlike their previous operations, which were so covert.

"Hope… we aren't discovered…"

The Messenger Group Chief Captain dragged down the floating human-head balloon, picked up a black robe, and pressed it into the black robe.

The black robe immediately swelled into a human shape, yet remained without consciousness, limp and slumped as if in deep slumber, held upright by the black-robed figure.

Even though the messengers fought to the death to protect him, the royal family member still suffered injuries after breaching Mo Cun's barrier.

"The plan… must be postponed…"

The Messenger Group Chief Captain cast one final glance toward the caravan group, gathered up the several black robes on the ground, and led Ma Ling'er'er away.

…

Mo Cun, Lang Fu.

"Father? What's wrong?"

Lang Mo spoke in confusion.

Lang Wu slowly retracted his gaze from the village entrance.

That feeling just now…

No, that makes no sense.

Even though Mo Cun's ancient exorcism array is already extremely aged, to the point where repairs are nearly impossible.

But according to all reports, its performance has merely declined—it hasn't reached the point of obsolescence.

Theoretically… such a situation is impossible.

Tomorrow, I'll have someone inspect the array.

Putting aside his thoughts, Lang Wu glanced at his younger son and said coolly: "Keep leading."

"Yes, yes!"

Just now, this troublemaking younger son suddenly ran over saying a ghost had breached the barrier and entered the village, causing panic in the mansion.

Lang Wu didn't fully believe such a thing was possible, but out of paternal concern, he ordered carriages and horses prepared.

Lang Fu mobilized: two rows of people walked ahead, each holding a Human Soul lantern like a streetlamp, raised high as they advanced.

Behind the Human Soul lantern procession came the carriage drivers and Lang Mo guiding them, along with Lang Wu seated in the carriage.

Further behind were another line of Human Soul lanterns, responsible for illumination and rear guard.

This entire procession was undeniably grand.

Unlike Gu Yue Cun, Mo Cun had no strict curfew at night; instead, large Human Soul fires were placed at intervals to provide lighting.

Thus, even at night, Mo Cun was surprisingly bright, with many villagers strolling outdoors—and even a night market existed.

This scene bore no resemblance to a village struggling to survive amid horrors—it was a peaceful, prosperous land of plenty, utterly unlike Gu Yue Cun and other small villages.

Seeing Lang Wu's procession, the strolling villagers instantly turned pale and hastily cleared a path.

"It's Chief Captain Lang Wu!"

"Why are they out so late?"

"I heard commotion at the village entrance—probably someone causing trouble."

Most whispered among themselves; some, curious, trailed behind.

Soon, Lang Wu's procession passed through the bustling market and reached the village entrance.

"Stop! Everyone on alert! Watch out for the two-headed ghost!"

Upon arrival, Lang Mo immediately shouted, ordering the group to halt.

Everyone stopped instantly.

In truth, those holding the lanterns and driving the horses were not cultivators, nor even members of the Guard Team.

They were merely servants of the Lang family—in short, ordinary people.

If they faced a ghost directly, they'd be dead in seconds.

The real combat strength was never them.

"Everyone stay put. Mo'er, come with me."

Lang Wu's calm voice came from the carriage.

Lang Mo turned back to see Lang Wu had lifted the curtain and stepped down, walking step by step toward the village entrance.

There, far off, a group had gathered.

"Them?"

"Yes!"

As he spoke, Lang Mo scanned the crowd, searching for Fang Yue's position—and quickly found him.

"Father! It's that two-headed one…"

Lang Mo's voice dropped abruptly behind him.

Because he realized Fang Yue's two heads had changed appearance.

One head had nearly returned to normal human size; the other had become a swollen, round mass of flesh, pressed against the neck.

From appearance alone, he was merely a deformed man—with a lump of flesh on his neck.

It was ugly, yes, but had nothing to do with a ghost.

You can't discriminate against someone for being deformed, can you?

"Two-headed?"

Lang Wu furrowed his brows and glanced at his younger son.

"No, no! Father, listen to me—he wasn't like this before!"

Lang Mo panicked, hurriedly speaking, but seeing Lang Wu's growing impatience, he gritted his teeth and charged toward that group.

"I'll prove it to you—this guy is a monster!"

Before he finished speaking, he was already in front of the group.

"Change! Hey! You, turn back now!!"

As soon as he reached the group, Lang Wu pointed at the deformed man and roared, making Lang Wu's face darken.

But then, his pupils suddenly contracted!

"How is this possible?!"

His expression changed—he shot forward like lightning, racing toward those people.

Fang Yue, caught and shouted at by the returning Lang Mo, felt a violent gale suddenly rush past his side.

The next moment, he heard the Blood Hunter's roar.

"Let go of Divine Doctor An!!"

What?!

Divine Doctor An!

His face changed—Fang Yue violently shoved away the clinging Lang Mo and sprinted backward.

There, the Blood Hunter who had been supporting Divine Doctor An lay on the ground, while a middle-aged man resembling Lang Mo held him up, coldly staring at Fang Yue.

"Who hurt him?!"

That gaze was icy as frost, like a giant serpent with a flickering tongue, piercing the soul.

With just one look, every member of the escort team froze, as if crushed by an invisible Aura—no one dared speak under his intimidation.

Only one person was an exception.

"Mo Cun, what an impressive display!"

Fang Yue met his cold stare without yielding.

Lang Wu, surprised that anyone could move freely under such a state, turned his gaze toward Fang Yue.

The two locked eyes, staring at each other across the distance.

Lang Wu spoke coldly: "I ask again—who hurt him?!"

System Prompt: You have entered 【Frost Intimidation】 state.

System Prompt: 【Frost Intimidation】 state has been removed.

These two system prompts rang out, less than half a second apart.

Night's Breath, forever divine!

Fang Yue spoke coldly: "Divine Doctor An was injured by a monster."

"A monster? What's the name of that monster? Where is it now?"

Lang Wu's face darkened, killing intent surging.

"That monster is called the Memory-Erasing Monster; we have slain it."

"Slain…? The Memory-Erasing Monster?"

What?!

Lang Wu's pupils contracted.

Divine Doctor An was injured by the Memory-Erasing Monster?

He understood the Memory-Erasing Monster.

An ancestor of the Lang family had died at the hands of this monster, which wandered between several villages.

Though only Black Grade Mid-Stage, its power allowed it to hold its own even against post-heaven elite warriors.

Treating it as a Black Grade High Stage monster would not be an overstatement.

And now, this little brat before him claimed they had killed the Memory-Erasing Monster!

How could this be possible?

Even he could only drive it off—he dared not claim he could kill it.

That memory-erasing monster's ability was simply too hard to handle.

After a pause, Lang Wu finally softened his tone.

"In that case, thank you all on this side."

"But I still cannot fully believe you—could you tell me your identities? Otherwise, I may have to ask you to leave Mo Cun."

Whoosh.

As Lang Wu finished speaking, the escort team members around him collapsed like dominoes, falling to the ground as if released from the 【Frost Intimidation】 state.

This was an act of goodwill.

Yet before Fang Yue could speak,

a weak voice suddenly sounded beside Lang Wu's ear.

"Old Lang… they're from Gu Yue Cun… sent to escort me back to Mo Cun."

It was Divine Doctor An, who had just awakened.

After uttering those words, he closed his eyes again and fainted.

"Divine Doctor An?!"

"Divine Doctor An!"

"Divine Doctor An!!"

……

Mo Village, Lang Residence.

"Hahaha! A misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding! I'll punish myself with three cups as an apology to all of you!"

The Lang Wu who had earlier been fierce and imposing, looking as though he would kill someone at the slightest move, now burst into loud laughter.

After having An Shenyi serve as witness, Lang Wu's suspicions toward Fang Yue and the others had long since vanished into thin air.

As for Lang Mo pointing at Fang Yue's head and saying this fellow was something strange, only to get beaten by Lang Wu for it, his head had grown several lumps.

Lang Wu and An Shenyi were old acquaintances, and the way they addressed each other was very casual.

With An Shenyi as witness, he trusted Fang Yue and the others completely.

He didn't even ask in detail about what had happened, and simply brought them back to the residence first.

"No, no, it was us who entered the village late at night, we were the rash ones." Fang Yue also offered the polite response.

After the two exchanged a couple of pleasantries back and forth, they finally got down to business.

"Brother Ye, I heard from the others that before you entered the village entrance, you were still advancing in an orderly fashion. Why did you suddenly accelerate into a sprint just as you were about to enter Mo Village? And how did you end up so separated from the group? Also, my son says you grew two heads…"

On that last question, Lang Wu had actually asked with some hesitation.

Because some people's Martial Techniques and cultivation methods, even their individual physiques, would all produce different effects on the body.

Today's explosive update: 20,000 characters.

(End of chapter)