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Chapter 86 A Deadly Situation with No Way Out (Sixth Update)

Shen Dujiang stared at Hu Shaoyu's face, his voice low and suppressed: "One hundred taels? Brother Hu, that's not how we agreed on this price! This price is far too unfair!"

Hu Shaoyu chuckled, showing no embarrassment whatsoever, but instead said matter-of-factly, "Boss Shen, times have changed."

The initial agreement was for a normal, leisurely guide, not this rushed and hurried approach.

Shen Dujiang was so angry that the veins on his forehead throbbed, and he was about to suppress his anger and continue speaking when...

"That's the price."

Chen Yue stepped forward, looking calmly at Hu Shaoyu, his tone unwavering, "One hundred taels. Now, come with us immediately to Tianzhou Prefecture."

Hu Shaoyu was taken aback and looked at Chen Yue with some surprise.

He had assumed that the seasoned veteran Shen Dujiang was in charge, but he never expected that this seemingly young man could make such a decisive decision so readily, and the unquestionable tone in his voice was even stronger than that of Shen Dujiang.

His gaze swept over the long sword at Chen Yue's waist and the bundle on his back, then he looked at Shen Dujiang and hesitated, "Young man—can you keep your word?"

Shen Dujiang took a deep breath, suppressing the frustration in his heart. Knowing this wasn't the time to argue, he said in a deep voice, "He's in charge! We can afford the money! Brother Hu, stop dawdling, let's go!"

Upon seeing Shen Dujiang's confirmation, Hu Shaoyu immediately put on a smile: "Great! No problem! Please wait a moment, I'll go inside to grab some important things and leave right away!"

As he spoke, he turned around and was about to go into his low, mud-brick house.

However, at that moment...

"Click—click—gurgle—"

A very strange sound suddenly drifted from the depths of the alleyway in the distance, accompanied by a cold wind.

The sound was like bones being chewed up, or flesh being torn apart, mixed with the gurgling sound of some kind of viscous liquid being stirred. It sounded particularly clear and jarring in the dead silence and dim light of the street.

Upon hearing this voice, Lin Quan, who was unfamiliar with martial arts, felt a chill run down his spine. Chen Yue, Shen Dujiang, and even Hu Shaoyu, who was about to turn around, all changed their expressions and tensed up instantly, turning their heads sharply in the direction from which the voice came.

"Such rich qi and blood! So fragrant!"

A strange, elusive voice drifted over, as if whispering in one's ear, or echoing from a great distance.

Immediately afterwards, in the increasingly dense gray-black fog at the end of the alley, a dark figure slowly appeared, its outline blurred, as if it had merged into the fog.

It stood there, seemingly looking this way.

Everyone stared intently, and a chill ran down their spines.

The shadowy figure was roughly humanoid, but its body was hunched and twisted. Most horrifying of all was its head, or rather, half a head.

The left half of his head, along with his eyes and ears, looked as if it had been torn and gnawed away by some sharp blade or wild beast, leaving only a jagged, bloody, and terrifying gap, through which one could vaguely see the dark red and black skull cavity inside.

On the remaining right side of his face, a cloudy, bloodshot eye was staring at them with a greedy and crazed gaze.

Its mouth was crooked, with dark red stains remaining at the corners, and it was opening and closing, making a smacking sound that sent chills down your spine.

"A ghost—it's a ghost! How—how could this ghostly thing get into the county town!"

The moment Hu Shaoyu saw that half-black shadow, he gasped in surprise, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and for the first time, his face showed genuine panic.

He traveled all over the country in his youth and had seen ghosts before, but ghosts have their own rules of activity.

In general, county towns are bustling with people and their vital energy is concentrated. They are also protected by the fortune of the government, making it extremely difficult for ordinary ghosts to intrude. Even if they do get close, they will be burned.

But this half-headed ghost was able to swagger into the alleys of the county town!

Shen Dujiang's face turned ashen, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "Now do you believe me? Blood sacrifice! They used evil magic to destroy the county town's protection, letting these ghostly things in to use them to storm the town, create chaos, and facilitate their actions!"

The half-demon's turbid eyes first fell on Lin Quan, whose aura was the weakest, revealing undisguised covetousness.

But then, its gaze slowly moved and finally landed on Chen Yue.

In its perception, this young man's vital energy was the most vigorous and abundant, emitting an unparalleled fragrance that almost made it lose its mind and pounce on him.

However, a strong, instinctive warning held it back tightly.

The delicious food before it exuded an unsettling aura, making it hesitate to approach.

Chen Yue frowned slightly, looking at the hesitant half-headed ghost, then glanced at the swirling black mist in the distance, and said in a deep voice:

.

Should we deal with it first?

Shen Dujiang shook his head and said in a low voice, "Now is not the time. The appearance of this ghostly thing means that there is probably more than one ghost like this in the city."

If we act here, the commotion will likely attract even more attention. Our immediate priority is to leave the city as soon as possible and escape this dangerous place!

Hu Shaoyu nodded repeatedly, his face pale: "Boss Shen is right! Ghosts are most sensitive to their own kind and to bloodshed. Killing one might attract a whole bunch! Let's go, don't worry about it!"

After a moment's thought, Chen Yue realized that what the two men said made sense.

Although he was not afraid of the half-headed ghost, if he got entangled with it, it would bring more trouble and even delay his chance to leave the city, which would be a loss.

"Let's go!" Chen Yue shouted without hesitation.

Hu Shaoyu dared not mention going back to the house to pack his things at this moment. He turned around and exchanged a glance with Shen Dujiang. The two of them rushed towards the nearest section of the city wall as if their lives depended on it.

They didn't even plan to go through the city gates anymore. Who knows what the city gates are like now? Maybe they've already been controlled by a cult or ghosts!

Climbing over the city wall is currently the most direct and possibly safest way out!

Chen Yue supported Lin Quan, whose legs were trembling with fear, and followed closely behind.

Seeing the food about to run away, the half-headed ghost let out an urgent low growl and followed closely behind, keeping a distance of more than ten feet. It dared not get too close, yet was unwilling to give up, like a leech clinging to a bone.

The four of them hurried through the dimly lit and desolate streets and alleys. The county town was eerily quiet at this moment.

The commotion that could be faintly heard before had completely disappeared under the increasingly thick gray-black fog.

The only sounds were their own hurried footsteps and the sluggish trailing behind them by the half-demon.

Finally, as the fog thinned ahead, the outline of Youlin County's towering city walls became faintly visible. The group's spirits lifted, and they quickened their pace.

However, just as they were about to reach the base of the wall, Shen Dujiang and Hu Shaoyu, who were walking at the front, suddenly stopped and abruptly halted, their faces showing expressions of surprise and uncertainty.

Chen Yue and Lin Quan stopped immediately, their eyes flashing as they looked ahead.

At the entrance to the alley leading to the city wall, a surge of gray-black mist appeared, and another dark figure silently emerged, blocking their only path.

This dark figure was also humanoid, but even more bizarre than the half-headed ghost; it had no head.

The neck had a clean cut, as if it had been severed by a sharp blade.

However, its body was facing Chen Yue and the others directly, and an invisible gaze fell upon the four of them as if it were a tangible thing, filled with undisguised malice and greed.

Shen Dujiang's face turned ashen. He swiftly drew the short blade from his waist, gripped it tightly, and roared at the headless ghost blocking his path, "Get out of the way!"

Shen Dujiang's stern shout echoed through the deathly silent alley, but failed to elicit the slightest reaction from the headless ghost blocking his path.

It still stood there quietly, its headless body exuding an aura of death. The half-headed ghost that had been following behind took advantage of the crowd being blocked and began to close the distance step by step, its turbid single eye filled with greed and madness.

"Hehe—it's so lively here—"

Just at this critical moment, a laugh with an eerie echo suddenly came from the roof to the side.

The voice, though seemingly cheerful, carried no warmth whatsoever; instead, it evoked a chilling, sinister feeling.

Everyone suddenly looked up.

In the shadow of a house roof to the side, a hunched figure with dark, bluish-black skin appeared, as if he had been scorched by fire for countless years.

It wore a robe stained with various colors, and most strikingly, it was carrying a broken alchemy furnace that was half the height of a person on its back.

The alchemy furnace was tilted, and wisps of bluish-black smoke were still rising from its opening.

The alchemy demon's face was withered and twisted, and its eyes, glowing with eerie green flames, were staring unblinkingly at Chen Yue and Lin Quan beside him, their light filled with Xi Jinping's frenzied greed.

Saliva dripped from its cracked mouth, hissing and emitting blue smoke as it corroded the tiles.

Behind the alchemist ghost, gray mist churned, and two more figures silently appeared.

The man was about forty years old, with a sinister face and cold eyes. He wore a long robe embroidered with flame patterns, and his aura was deep and obscure. He was clearly a master of the Marrow Refining Realm.

The other person was slightly younger, with sharp eyes and an aura emanating from him; he was at the Bone Forging Realm.

As soon as the two appeared, their cold gazes swept over Chen Yue and the others in the alley.

Upon seeing the Marrow Refining Realm expert and the Bone Forging Realm martial artist, Hu Shaoyu's face turned deathly pale, and his legs began to weaken slightly.

One is at the Marrow Refining Realm, one is at the Bone Forging Realm, and there are three ghosts that are clearly not weak. This is a hopeless situation with no chance of survival!

Lin Quan was deathly pale, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

He never imagined that a once bustling county town, teeming with people during the day, would suddenly transform into a desolate wasteland overrun by ghosts and cults.

Is this world truly doomed?

Shen Dujiang's throat bobbed violently, cold sweat poured down his forehead, and his palms, gripping the short dagger tightly, were covered in sweat.

He subconsciously turned his gaze to Chen Yue. In the current situation, relying on his own cultivation and martial arts skills, he would definitely be doomed.

The only hope lies with Chen Yue.

But—is that damned Marrow Refining Realm real?

What's in front of me is a real Marrow Refining Realm expert!

Shen Dujiang was filled with anxiety and had no confidence whatsoever.

Chen Yue's gaze fell on the broken alchemy furnace, and combined with its words, he instantly understood.

He then looked at Yin Moli, whose aura was the strongest, and calmly asked, "The Divine Flame Sect—the Alchemy Demon?"