Chapter 101: The Strange Village
No matter where one goes, great strength always earns respect.
The Soul Ancestor's face no longer showed any negative emotions.
Meanwhile, the area circled on the map clearly revealed the intentions of the evil soul masters.
The Tianshuang Principality already sat on the borderlands, and further east lay the legendary Slaughter City.
Those fleeing evil soul masters had undoubtedly received news that Spirit Hall was about to launch a sweeping purge against them. That was why they came to this region near Slaughter City, continuously harvesting lives to strengthen themselves, accumulating enough capital to enter that terrifying place.
Once they reached Slaughter City, they could at least ensure Spirit Hall would no longer trouble them.
After exiting the east city gate, everyone turned their eyes toward Lin Beiya, who stood at the front.
"Captain, how should we proceed? Do we split up or search together?"
Though splitting up would increase search efficiency, the evil soul masters were far too dangerous. Lin Beiya didn't feel reassured letting them act alone.
"We stay together. I have a way to locate their tracks."
Hearing this, curiosity lit up in everyone's hearts. They wanted to see what method Lin Beiya possessed to pinpoint the evil soul masters' movements.
Lin Beiya suddenly closed his eyes. A few seconds later, he vanished. When he reappeared, he was already standing atop a massive tree dozens of meters away.
Several birds were sunbathing on its branches.
Startled by Lin Beiya's sudden appearance, they hadn't even managed to flap their wings before several golden streaks struck them in the head.
"Demon Illusion Fist!"
This was Lin Beiya's first practical application of the Gemini Cloth's battle technique.
The struck ravens instantly became dazed. Their wings stopped flapping as they quietly awaited Lin Beiya's orders.
"Go patrol the villages to the east. If anything happens, return immediately and notify me."
Dozens of birds let out brief cries before swiftly flying into the distance.
Lin Beiya repeated the process, sending out batch after batch of birds. Soon, a carpet-style sweep of the entire eastern region of the Tianshuang Principality was underway.
With this intensity of search, the evil soul masters would certainly reveal themselves before long.
Returning to the team, he was met with a sea of astonished gazes.
"Wait—Boss, you can even control birds!?"
"Yes. Now that we have over a hundred scouts, all we need to do is wait for news."
"That's… unbelievably convenient."
After exchanging words, the group followed the Soul Ancestor guide toward Fushou Village—the center of the eastern region. They planned to wait there for reports from the bird scouts. From Fushou Village, no matter where the evil soul masters appeared, they could reach it in the shortest time possible.
Unlike the villages they passed earlier, the eastern villages now had all their gates tightly shut. Aside from farmers working in the fields, no one else dared leave their homes. The entire journey was shrouded in silence.
Clearly, this was a result of the evil soul masters' recent activities.
Arriving at Fushou Village, they found it the same as the others.
Closed gates. Empty streets. Only with spiritual sense could they detect a few farmers working in the distance.
"The evil soul masters' influence is massive. Even the unique sacrificial festivities have been canceled."
Lin Beiya nodded, then instructed:
"Let's find a place to rest first."
Facing the threat of evil soul masters, it was best to maintain peak condition at all times.
Just as they were about to head deeper into the village, Ming Xin—who had accompanied them on the mission—frowned.
"Lord Beiya… there are many wandering spirits in this village."
"Hm?"
The moment he said this, everyone except Lin Beiya stared at Ming Xin in shock.
"Wait, you can actually see spirits!?"
Yu Quan's tone was filled with disbelief. It sounded absurd on the surface.
"Yes. It's a talent ability granted by my awakened martial soul."
"Can you communicate with them?"
Lin Beiya ignored the others' astonishment and instead asked whether Ming Xin could talk to the spirits.
Ming Xin looked around, then shook his head.
"No. These spirits are different from people who died naturally or from accidents. Their souls have no consciousness."
"They're just drifting aimlessly and might dissipate completely at any time."
Hearing this, Lin Beiya fell into contemplation. Only after a long moment did he speak again:
"So, these people didn't die naturally, nor did they die by accident, correct?"
"Yes. Or rather… their bodies may still be alive. Their souls were forcibly driven out."
"Oh?"
Lin Beiya's interest sharpened. This method was remarkably similar to the Praesepe Underworld Waves technique.
"In that case, let's see what's truly strange about this village."
They arrived at a courtyard marked with a Tea House sign. The Soul Ancestor guide explained that this was a rest stop for traveling merchant caravans. Other villages had similar places.
Entering the courtyard, they found the inner door just as tightly shut.
Yu Quan immediately stepped forward and knocked.
"Is anyone there?"
Silence.
Yu Quan knocked again and again, growing irritated—until the door finally creaked open.
An elderly man with snow-white hair slowly appeared before them.
He glanced over the group, then spoke:
"Honored guests… Do you require tea?"
"Yes, bring some tea. Also, we have some questions for you."
"Very well. Please sit and wait in the courtyard. This old man will boil water and prepare tea."
Yu Quan nodded, but when he turned back, he met Lin Beiya's icy gaze.
"Boss… what's wrong?"
"He's being controlled."
"What!?"
Yu Quan stiffened, instantly understanding what Lin Beiya meant. His gaze toward the old man's back grew cold.
Someone like Lin Beiya—who could use the Demon Illusion Fist—could instantly see the abnormalities. The old man's unfocused eyes and mechanical responses were not reactions one should have when strangers appeared at their door.
Especially during a time when evil soul masters were causing chaos. The old man showed no fear whatsoever.
"So… what do we do?"
Lin Beiya didn't answer. He stepped forward, raised his finger, and pointed at the old man's back. A ghostly green glow ignited at his fingertip.
"Praesepe Underworld Waves."
A spiraling beam shot forward, striking the old man. His body shuddered violently before a pitch-black soul was forcibly ripped from him.
What shocked everyone was that the soul clearly didn't belong to the elderly man.
"D—Damn you! Who are you!? Release me right now! Otherwise, Spirit Venerable will never forgive you!"
"Spirit Venerable? Where is he?"
"...…"
Realizing he had slipped up, the black spirit shut its mouth and refused to speak further. But Lin Beiya wasn't bothered.
"Demon Illusion Fist."
Another golden beam shot out, striking the soul's head. The uncooperative spirit instantly became expressionless and vacant.
With that done, Lin Beiya turned to Ming Xin.
" Ming Xin, he's yours."
"Yes, Lord Beiya."
Ming Xin stepped forward, releasing his martial soul. Wails and shrieks swept through the courtyard like a cold storm.
Everyone instinctively took a step back.
—
End of Chapter