Chapter 242

Since we've met, I might as well ask about the tail's whereabouts; according to Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu, the two have been spending a lot of time together lately, even neglecting her.

After searching for a while, Fang Yue finally spotted Ni Dongmei beneath a large kui tree in an open clearing.

The girl with a single ponytail leaned against the kui tree, examining the necklace she had just reclaimed, but her gaze was unfocused, as if her thoughts were nowhere near the object before her.

He stepped forward quickly…

"Who?!"

Like a startled wolf baring its fangs, Ni Dongmei's sharp, icy gaze snapped toward him, and she swiftly tucked away the necklace.

"I'm the Night Captain of Gu Yue Cun. Do you know where the tail is now?"

"... I know."

Upon hearing Fang Yue's title, Ni Dongmei's expression slightly softened.

"Where?"

"Outside the village."

What…

Fang Yue's expression changed slightly.

"Why would she be outside the village?"

"Because she has something she must do."

Fang Yue's face darkened slightly as his hand slowly moved toward the Leng Yue Blade.

He could sense something unusual about Ni Dongmei—her unnerving calmness in his presence, and her silence even after her necklace was stolen, merely chasing down the thief.

Yet her strength should be weak, or else she wouldn't dare act within the village; otherwise, how could a common thief dare steal a strong one's necklace?

Coldly staring at Ni Dongmei, Fang Yue asked: "Did you force the tail to leave the village? What do you intend to do?"

"You're not the Captain of Mo Cun."

"What?"

"You're not the Captain of Mo Cun," Ni Dongmei snapped, her tone growing impatient: "So Mo Cun's affairs are none of your concern. Don't meddle in what doesn't concern you. What I do in Mo Cun is none of your business. Besides, the tail left the village of her own free will—she has her own matters to attend to, and she'll likely return within two or three days."

Fang Yue frowned and tried sending a message to the tail, but received no reply—clearly, she was too far away, beyond the range of messaging.

"Who exactly are you?"

"If the tail returns alive, you'll learn my identity. If she doesn't return, we'll never cross paths again in this lifetime."

Saying this, Ni Dongmei turned to leave, ignoring Fang Yue—but after only two steps, a flash of cold light halted her path.

It was Fang Yue's Leng Yue Blade.

"I don't like riddles. Tell me everything you know."

"Night Captain, I'm sparing you out of respect for the tail. Don't force me to act."

Fang Yue raised an eyebrow, and in the next instant, he slashed forward.

The blade was swift—but it stopped just before Ni Dongmei's chest.

Because Ni Dongmei didn't dodge. She didn't even seem to react.

"Can't you dodge?"

"I have no need to."

Ni Dongmei pushed the Leng Yue Blade aside with a blank expression, glared at Fang Yue, and continued walking.

But Fang Yue's words made her stop.

"You're too confident. That slash just now could have killed you. But you're right—this is Mo Cun. Someone better suited to handle you exists here."

"Kill me?"

Ni Dongmei turned back, coldly studying Fang Yue: "I nearly killed you. Thank the tail—if not for her, the one speaking to me now would be a corpse."

"Is that so? Then I'd truly like to try what it feels like to become a corpse."

"Really want to try?"

"Really want to try."

The two locked gazes; an invisible current crackled between them, colliding fiercely.

In the next instant, Fang Yue moved.

Every muscle in his body responded to his will; after his breakthrough into Post-Heaven Second-Rank, his bodily coordination underwent a qualitative transformation—thought and action merged instantly, power surged without delay.

The result of this transformation was that Fang Yue's striking speed increased.

How fast? Fast enough that in a single blink, he crossed ten meters and slashed through Ni Dongmei's chest.

Fang Yue's strength hadn't changed—what changed was his coordination. His body and internal energy had become a single whole, a seamless machine, no longer clumsy.

But Fang Yue's slash missed.

"How…?"

Fang Yue frowned, staring at the Leng Yue Blade.

There was no blood on the blade—only wet droplets, as if he had just slashed through a waterfall.

And a strange, stinging pain spread from his right hand up his arm; his tendons swelled one by one, veins turned semi-transparent, revealing dark specks flowing within.

These specks resembled insect eggs nurtured in a warm bed, swelling rapidly, blocking the veins, and raising large lumps along his arm as if stones had been stuffed inside.

The bone-chilling pain nearly made him drop the blade.

He had never heard of or seen such a bizarre technique.

What kind of Martial Technique was this—or… a curse?

He glanced at his status bar.

"System Prompt: You have entered 【Curse: Stone Worm Egg Poison】 state."

His pupils shrank; his face instantly turned grim.

It's truly a curse!

Is this guy a wraith?!

When did she enter the village? Why was she lurking inside? What does she want? Is the tail already dead?

Fang Yue's expression shifted several times; his emotions surged, then were crushed in an instant, a low roar echoing in his heart.

"Parchment!!"

【What? What? Is it payback day already?】

"... Stop fixating on the stone, use Time Rewind for me first!"

The parchment surfaced with resentful text.

【Fang Yue owes me Black Ember and has yet to repay it, recorded in my little notebook.】

"Hurry up!"

Fang Yue roared again, and only then did the parchment reluctantly activate its ability.

【... Time Rewind.】

That strange sensation he had experienced once before surged again.

Fang Yue felt his own time flowing backward along the river of time, like rowing upstream.

The burning lifespan fueled the effort, pushing the little boat forward a short distance against the current.

Then, time reversed.

The insect eggs in his right hand shrank and oozed out of his body.

The swollen, malformed lumps on his arm quickly returned to their original state.

Safe.

Fang Yue exhaled in relief, turned around, and faced Ni Dongmei.

There she stood, half-phantom, half-real, slowly turning her head back...

"I told you before, you'll die. Still time to beg for mercy—I'll give you the antidote..."

Mid-sentence, Ni Dongmei froze, eyes wide open, unable to believe Fang Yue's intact right arm.

"How is this possible?! You, you were infected with my Stone Insect Egg—why are you unharmed?!"

"Indeed, why is that?"

The turbulent internal energy within Fang Yue began to flow.

The fourth-layer Flame Heart Method ignited him from within outward.

Tiny flames emerged from Fang Yue's body, gradually burning his clothes and scorching the Leng Yue Blade.

From within the flames, a terrifying aura erupted from Fang Yue.

"Flame Sect's technique?"

Ni Dongmei, having just regained her composure, grew cold, her body becoming even more ethereal.

"No wonder your origins target me... Good! Today I'll take your life!"

Fang Yue sneered: "Who dies, who lives—still uncertain!"

Fire blazed around Fang Yue.

Ni Dongmei shimmered, half-phantom, half-real.

The battle seemed about to erupt!

And just then...

"Stop, all of you!!"

A sudden, jarring shout exploded.

Fang Yue whirled around: "Who?!"

Ni Dongmei glanced toward the source, sneered: "You arrived just in time. A few seconds later, I'd have taken his life."

From the direction of the voice, a figure sprinted toward them—undeniably... Chief Captain Lang Wu.

Fang Yue blinked in surprise: "How is it you?!"

"It's me. I heard reports you two had contact—I knew trouble was coming, so I rushed over. Don't move. Neither of you!"

Fang Yue's expression darkened: "Lang Wu, she's a wraith—why are you helping her?"

Fang Yue watched Chief Captain Lang Wu and Ni Dongmei warily, slowly backing away.

Clearly, these two were allies.

One against two—Fang Yue had no chance.

But before Fang Yue had finished speaking, Ni Dongmei spoke up, her voice rising.

"Who's a wraith? Don't speak nonsense!"

The Curse has appeared—still you deny you're a wraith??

Fang Yue had no interest in her excuses; he even suspected whether Chief Captain Lang Wu was even real—could he be her accomplice in disguise?

"Don't be tense, Night Captain. Lower your weapon first. This woman isn't a wraith—she's Ni Dongmei, Seventh Elder of the Extreme Ice Sect. What's here now is merely a projection."

"What?!"

Fang Yue froze.

This thing is just a projection?

I almost got one-shot by someone's projection?!

Fang Yue suddenly felt a blow to his pride.

But upon deeper reflection...

"Wait! Seventh Elder of the Extreme Ice Sect? This is Flame Sect territory—what's she doing here?"

Ni Dongmei gave a cold laugh: "The Blazing Flame Sect is only recruiting disciples in your area; when did your Heiqing Shanmai become the Blazing Flame Sect's territory? 【Shang Qing Tian】 hasn't even spoken up — what does the Blazing Flame Sect count for?"

Shang Qing Tian? What is that now?

Fang Yue was a bit dumbfounded.

Chief Captain Lang Wu sighed: "Lady Ni Dongmei, please go back and rest first. Every bit of power this avatar uses is a drain, isn't that so? Leave the rest to me."

"Hmph!"

Ni Dongmei gave a cold snort, flicked her sleeves, and left.

Fang Yue furrowed his brow: "Wait! At least tell me where Weiba went?"

Ni Dongmei paused, her back to Fang Yue, and said coldly: "Weiba has the aptitude to enter my Extreme Ice Sect; she's now at the gathering place of the 【Giant-Head Blood Hounds】. If she can pass the Trial, I'll take her in and bring her back to the Extreme Ice Sect."

Weiba... has the aptitude?

Fang Yue was still in a daze when Ni Dongmei had already walked far away.

Fang Yue furrowed his brow and looked at Chief Captain Lang Wu.

"What exactly is going on? How could an Elder of the Extreme Ice Sect be in Mo Cun? Did you already know?"

"Mm."

Chief Captain Lang Wu, seeing that Ni Dongmei had truly walked far away, visibly relaxed.

"Didn't I say before that during your closed-door cultivation, many people heard about the 【Giant-Head Blood Hounds】 gathering in Mo Cun, so a lot of outside forces came — the Extreme Cold Sect is one of them. But Lady Ni Dongmei is a bit special; her status meant she had no reason to come to Mo Cun, it seems she came specifically for some other matter."

Some other matter...

Fang Yue's heart gave a sudden jolt.

Could it be... she came because of An Shenyi?

It shouldn't be, right?

"Did she say what she came for?"

Chief Captain Lang Wu shook his head: "She didn't say. Don't think that just because I'm Chief Captain of Mo Cun, I actually have any say — facing a behemoth like that, I'm at a disadvantage, I have no real voice."

That much, Fang Yue could tell.

After thinking, Fang Yue asked: "Then how much do you know about Weiba's matter? Did she come for... An Shenyi, or for Weiba?"

Hearing Fang Yue's question, Chief Captain Lang Wu's expression changed.

"Shh! You know about An Shenyi too? This matter is of great importance, don't go blurting it out."

Looking left and right, and after confirming no one was around, Chief Captain Lang Wu lowered his voice: "I don't know anything about Weiba at all, but I'm quite certain Lady Ni Dongmei definitely didn't come to take on a disciple. It seems she was simply wandering around the village, happened to run into your person, discovered an extremely good aptitude, and on the spur of the moment decided to take a disciple."

Aptitude, huh...

Fang Yue's expression turned strange.

According to Lin Ling, the great sects have very high requirements for aptitude. Lin Ling's kind of aptitude was never looked at, and in all these years in Gu Yue Cun, not a single person had ever been taken into a major sect.

So when Chief Captain Lang Wu said Weiba had aptitude, Fang Yue got a strange feeling.

Could it be that Weiba, this girl with no innate skill, actually has stronger aptitude than Niu Niu, who has an innate skill?

And how is this aptitude even judged?

With my 1 point of Comprehension, in the eyes of those from the great sects, what tier would my aptitude be?

Honestly, Fang Yue was a bit tempted.

Although he had clashed with Ni Dongmei, that was because he didn't know her identity.

Now that he knew she was a big-shot from a sect, he did have some little thought of bowing to a master and getting into a sect.

After thinking, Fang Yue asked: "Chief Captain Lang Wu, do you know the whereabouts of the Blood Hunter?"

Chief Captain Lang Wu was stunned for a moment, not knowing why Fang Yue suddenly asked about the Blood Hunter, but still replied.

"He left the village with a team a couple of days ago, he probably hasn't come back yet."

"A team?"

"Mm, a team to hunt 【Giant-Head Blood Hounds】. They're usually Hunters thrown together on the spot, but 【Giant-Head Blood Hounds】 are no simple matter — at the very least they're at the strength of a Black Grade Initial Stage Gui Yi. A group made up of Black Grade Initial Stage Gui Yi, even I would have to give way."

Once their numbers reach a certain scale, even Chief Captain Lang Wu, a top-tier post-Heavenly, would have to think twice.

But if he can't win, someone of Chief Captain Lang Wu's strength can still run easily enough.

"Where is the gathering place of the 【Giant-Head Blood Hounds】? Can you point it out for me?"

"That's no problem, I'll go back and mark the location. But I still advise you not to leave the village. First, the village just suffered a Gui Yi incursion, everyone's on edge, and we need a few strong experts like you to hold things down and steady morale.

Second, outside the village it's dangerous at every turn. Even I, when I leave the village, can't say I'll come back every time. If you stray far from the village roads and outside the village's range, even I'm on thin ice. No matter how much stronger than an ordinary martial artist you are, the wilderness... is nowhere near as simple as you think."

What Chief Captain Lang Wu said, Fang Yue naturally knew.

He had come all the way from Gu Yue Cun — how could he not know the dangers of the wilderness.

"Don't worry, I just want to understand the full situation first. As for what to do exactly, I'll think it over carefully."

(End of chapter)