Several people frowned. They had been teleported to a city in Dongzhou—Qiancheng.
It was less than thirty li from the incident location mentioned in the intel.
After leaving Qiancheng, they encountered people hurrying on the road, most of whom were cultivators.
However, their cultivation levels were not high, with most being at the Foundation Establishment stage.
The one who had blocked Zhang Ergou and the others earlier was a cultivator at the late Foundation Establishment stage. After that person left, Zhang Ergou and the group proceeded in the opposite direction.
...
When Zhang Ergou and the others entered the small town, there were very few people, and it was deserted.
They casually entered a courtyard. The place was in disarray, suggesting the owner had fled in a hurry, only managing to pack a few essentials.
The group exchanged glances; the situation was more troublesome than any of them had anticipated.
The information Hua Xu had given them only vaguely described an incident involving some strange creatures emerging. It was only after arriving that they truly grasped the eerie nature of the situation.
Zhang Ergou and the others were now completely in the dark. People were rarely seen here, making it extremely difficult to obtain any information about the "demonic beasts" the cultivator had mentioned.
"What should we do now?" Li Xun asked. As a sword cultivator, he found such brain-racking matters most troublesome.
Naturally, he left the decision-making to Zhang Ergou and the others.
"Let's continue observing," Zhang Ergou said in a low voice. The others had no objections; they had no better ideas at the moment.
...
"Help!"
"Someone's here."
The group's expressions tensed. A faint voice reached them.
"It seems to be over there." Zhang Ergou pointed east. After the initial faint cry for help, no more sounds were heard.
The group soared into the air, overlooking the entire town, but they couldn't spot the person calling for help.
Zhang Ergou led them toward the direction of the sound. Su Dan Fiction Network
"Help!"
However, as soon as they reached the east side, another cry for help came from the south.
This time, the voice was a little clearer than before.
"It's to the south," Qu Yao pointed south.
The group flew south again.
But upon reaching the south, they searched every corner and found no sign of the person calling for help.
"Help me."
This time, the group heard the voice coming from the west.
"Something's not right."
Only now did Zhang Ergou and the others realize the strangeness of the situation. It seemed the voice was deliberately luring them.
"This isn't a cry for help at all. Listen carefully. Although the voice was deliberately lowered, it was full of energy, not at all like someone injured or in danger would sound."
"Yes, I also found that voice a bit strange."
"Ever since we entered this town, I've had the feeling that something has been watching us in the shadows."
"You feel it too?"
"I thought it was my imagination and hadn't said anything."
The group's expressions grew more somber. Ever since entering the town, they had been targeted.
And they had no idea if the對方 was human or ghost, demon or monster.
"Help me."
The voice rang out again.
"Let's hold our ground for now and see what their intentions are." Zhang Ergou quickly transmitted his thoughts to the others. They had been led around from east to south, and they needed to find a way to lure the對方 out.
"Help..."
Seeing that Zhang Ergou and the others remained motionless, the voice grew more urgent.
"As expected, there's something fishy." Zhang Ergou exchanged glances with Li Zhan and the others. From the frequency of these calls for help, they could tell that the对方 seemed to be losing patience.
...
"Over there." Suddenly, a black shadow flashed by.
Zhang Ergou and the group immediately gave chase, but when they rounded the corner, the figure was long gone.
"So fast." The group's faces darkened.
They couldn't even see the opponent's shadow. The fleeting glimpse was clearly intentional.
It was meant to attract their attention.
As dusk began to fall, Zhang Ergou and his companions had spent the entire afternoon circling the town.
Each time the black shadow appeared, it was when Zhang Ergou and the others were about to give up.
It led them around, as if deliberately playing with them.
"This can't go on." Although they were all cultivators, the continuous running had made Li Zhan and Qu Yao show signs of fatigue. Their cultivation levels were originally lower than Zhang Ergou's and Li Xun's.
Their spiritual energy had been depleted considerably by the rapid movement.
Of course, Zhang Ergou and Li Xun were exceptions; they seemed to be competing during this process.
"Two beasts..." Li Zhan muttered to himself.
"Let's rest for a while." Saying this, he didn't bother with anyone else and sat down on a rock.
"Wait!" Zhang Ergou quickly stopped him, but it was too late. Li Zhan had already sat down.
"Ah..." The moment Li Zhan sat down, he vanished, and so did the rock that had inexplicably appeared.
Zhang Ergou, Li Xun, and Qu Yao's faces turned even more grim.
They hadn't even seen how the opponent made their move, and a living person had disappeared right before their eyes.
The atmosphere at the scene grew even more oppressive. The darkening sky made their actions even more difficult.
Before this operation had even identified the enemy, Li Zhan had mysteriously disappeared. Zhang Ergou felt a sense of urgency.
If they couldn't find Li Zhan before dark, it wouldn't be good news for them.
Once again, Zhang Ergou felt the difficulty of the problem; the opponent was too fast.
"Should we split up?" At this moment, Li Xun suggested. After wandering around for half the day, they had been constantly lured in circles, with no substantial results. Now, with Li Zhan's disappearance, they had to consider a different approach.
"No, that will only give the opponent more opportunities to exploit." Zhang Ergou, however, disagreed.
"But if you keep us together like this, we won't be able to solve the problem!" Li Xun's tone was a little harsh.
Zhang Ergou's expression also turned unpleasant: "I am the captain, so you must listen to me."
"If we didn't choose you, what kind of captain would you be?" Although Zhang Ergou had saved his life, Li Xun was still somewhat unconvinced by his strength.
"Then let's vote..."
"I still insist that we act together." Zhang Ergou stated his opinion first.
"I object!" To no one's surprise, Li Xun voiced his opposition.
After speaking, both of them simultaneously turned their gazes to Qu Yao.
"Shouldn't we consider rescuing Li Zhan first?" Qu Yao said weakly.
"These two old rascals..." Li Zhan, trapped, gradually calmed down after a brief moment of panic. However, he found that he could see Zhang Ergou, Li Xun, and Qu Yao. It seemed that Zhang Ergou and the others couldn't see him. And the argument between Li Xun and Zhang Ergou was a blow to his heart...
"Met the wrong people!"