Chapter 63

But in just an instant, that streak of fire vanished.

Uncle Yong paused for a moment, then turned to the armored young lady and said, "Miss, there seemed to be someone in the depths of the white pine forest earlier."

"Someone?"

The armored young lady showed no fear, but rather a look of curiosity. "So, there are others who have come to this Ghost Mother Ridge before us?"

"It seems so."

Uncle Yong said solemnly.

"This is interesting."

The armored young lady pondered for a moment and made a decision. "Since we're passing by, we might as well take a look. It won't take much time."

Su Yi's brows furrowed slightly, but he ultimately said nothing.

Immediately, the group changed direction and headed toward the distant white pine forest.

They were already at the halfway point of Ghost Mother Ridge, and the path was covered with knee-high wild grass, making it impossible to find a clear path.

Guo Bing swung his hunting knife, cutting through the grass, and said with a smile, "During the day, that dilapidated temple is quite safe. But at night, one must be careful."

Soon, the group entered the area covered by the white pine forest.

The towering pines and their branches blocked the sky, and white mist swirled around. Walking through it, the scene was gloomy and dark.

The ground was covered with thick layers of decaying leaves, emitting a pungent odor.

Suddenly, Guo Bing, who was leading the way, stumbled. If Su Yi hadn't caught his arm in time, he would have been tripped and fallen.

When Guo Bing saw what had tripped him, his face changed dramatically.

It was a skull buried in the decaying leaves, stained with dirt and dust, with hollow eye sockets staring at the sky.

At first glance, it was enough to make one's hair stand on end.

"Let's go."

Su Yi glanced at it and then turned away.

As for Uncle Yong and the others, they remained calm and composed.

A single skull was nothing to them, seasoned warriors who had experienced countless bloody battles.

But not long after, Su Yi stopped in his tracks.

On the high branches of the distant white pines, there hung numerous shriveled human skins, densely packed, numbering in the hundreds.

These skins, of men, women, and children, were left with only the outer layer of skin, each with disheveled hair and a terrifying appearance, making the scene even more eerie in the gloomy atmosphere.

"This..."

Uncle Yong's pupils dilated, clearly shocked by the bizarre and eerie sight.

The armored young lady also stiffened, exclaiming, "What are these things?"

The nearby guards all gripped their weapons tightly, forming a protective circle around the armored young lady, their expressions extremely serious.

Guo Bing was so frightened that he trembled all over, his face pale. He stammered, "Old... Old man, I've never seen such a scene before. How about... we leave?"

"Don't be afraid, they are just the remains of long-dead corpses."

Su Yi reassured him casually.

Uncle Yong suddenly said, "If my guess is correct, these corpses were once victims of the ghost corpse worms. In this world, only the Yinsha Sect would raise such malevolent creatures!"

"Wasn't the Yinsha Sect destroyed a long time ago?"

The armored young lady's eyebrows furrowed.

"Miss, you may not know, but back then, although the main temple of the Yinsha Sect was destroyed by the first holy site of the Great Zhou, the Qianlong Sword Sect, the sect had many followers. Many of them hid early on and managed to escape the purge."

Uncle Yong said solemnly, "In recent years, there have been several bloody and evil incidents in the Great Zhou, all suspected to be related to the Yinsha Sect. In other words, the Yinsha Sect is showing signs of resurgence within the Great Zhou."

He paused and frowned, "Judging by the state of these hanging corpses, although they have been exposed to the elements, they are still relatively well-preserved, indicating that they died here only a few years ago."

The armored young lady's expression changed, "So, there might be members of the Yinsha Sect causing trouble on this Ghost Mother Ridge?"

Uncle Yong said reassuringly, "Miss, there's no need to fear. These evil cultivators are like rats in the street, only daring to hide in desolate and dangerous places. They can't cause much trouble."

The armored young lady gritted her teeth, "Uncle Yong, I suspect that the dilapidated temple deep in the white pine forest might have become a stronghold for the Yinsha Sect. I want to take a look. If it is, we will destroy it, and it will be a righteous act to eliminate evil and protect the people!"

Her words surprised Su Yi.

He hadn't expected this seemingly capricious armored young lady to have such courage and resolve.

"Good."

Uncle Yong nodded in agreement.

Although Guo Bing was extremely reluctant to take such a risky action, he had no choice but to continue forward when he saw that Su Yi did not object.

After passing through the forest where the dead skins hung from the branches, they could vaguely see a building standing in the distance, shrouded in white mist.

As they got closer, they could see that the building was dilapidated and old, overgrown with wild grass and vines, clearly a temple.

"Recently, there have indeed been people frequently appearing in this area."

Uncle Yong noticed that a path had been cleared through the thick wild grass in front of the temple steps.

"Everyone, be careful."

Uncle Yong warned as he led the group toward the temple.

Upon entering the temple gate, they found a desolate courtyard with a collapsed statue and wild grass spreading everywhere.

In front of the courtyard was a dilapidated hall, with red paint peeling off and broken windows, looking desolate and bleak.

"Who?"

As Su Yi and the group arrived, a cold voice came from inside the hall.

Immediately, a figure rushed out.

It was a gaunt old man in a black robe, his eyes glowing with a faint green light, looking eerie and terrifying.

When he saw Su Yi and Uncle Yong, his face changed dramatically, and he immediately pulled out a bone flute from his waist and blew it hard.

"Whoo!"

The sharp, hoarse sound of the flute pierced the silence, extremely piercing.

"Looking for death!"

Uncle Yong's face darkened, and he drew his sword, leaping forward to cover ten yards in a single bound.

Swish!

His bright war sword suddenly burst into a blinding red flame, slicing through the air with a mighty presence.

The gaunt old man turned to flee into the hall, but he was a step too slow.

The red blade struck, tearing a long gash in his back, blood spraying out, nearly splitting him in two.

Thud!

The gaunt old man fell to the ground, his lips emitting a hiss, "You will not leave here alive!"

His words still echoing, he was already dead.

Uncle Yong walked forward, picked up the bone flute that the old man had dropped, and examined it, his brows furrowing.

"Uncle Yong, is this old man a member of the Yinsha Sect?"

The armored young lady and the guards hurried over. Seeing the corpse, she seemed somewhat disappointed, "He's too weak, unable to withstand Uncle Yong's single strike."

"He's just a minor lackey, a Blood Refinement Realm cultivator."

Uncle Yong frowned, "However, when he blew the bone flute, it was clearly a call for help. There are likely other members of the Yinsha Sect in the surrounding area."

"What's to fear? With Uncle Yong here, we can handle anyone who comes."

The armored young lady said nonchalantly.

Then, she frowned, noticing that Su Yi had already walked into the hall, examining a statue in the center, seemingly unconcerned with what had just happened.

She strode over with long, graceful steps, her face filled with anger, and demanded, "Hey, don't you know that we just saved your life? You don't even say thank you, and you have the nerve to be interested in these things?"

Su Yi was taken aback, "Saved my life?"

"Isn't that the case? If you hadn't followed us, would you dare to come here? Even if you did, you would have been killed by the Yinsha Sect and turned into a skin hanging from a tree!"

The armored young lady glared at him, her eyes cold and mocking.

Su Yi's expression remained calm, and he said casually, "Remember, it was you who followed me and Old Guo, not the other way around. If you're so capable, you can act on your own from now on."

With that, he walked to the other side of the hall.

This girl has many flaws.

For example, she has a bad temper, argues unreasonably, throws tantrums, and gives orders.

But she's not entirely terrible.

Su Yi wasn't about to argue over a few words.

It wasn't worth it.

Not far away, the armored young lady stared at Su Yi's back, her chest heaving with anger, her face cold, and her teeth grinding together.

But Su Yi's words left her with no way to argue back.

In the distance, Uncle Yong, who had seen everything, was also somewhat displeased.

Regardless, Su Yi had benefited greatly from traveling with them.

After all, without them, he would have encountered countless dangers on this journey.

"This young man seems quite smart, but he still hasn't realized how noble the young lady's status is. Otherwise, he wouldn't dare to argue with her like this."

Uncle Yong shook his head, no longer thinking about it.

He knew that young people today were often arrogant and full of themselves.

Su Yi's reaction wasn't surprising.

After all, if they weren't arrogant, they wouldn't be young.

The hall was relatively clean, free of spider webs and dust.

In the center stood a statue facing away from the door, headless, with the colored mud on its body cracked and broken, showing no special features.

However, on the walls of the hall, Su Yi discovered some murals.

Although they were faded and damaged, with colors dim and blurry, he could still make out scenes of people suffering in the world.

Buddhas and bodhisattvas stood amidst the masses, their expressions filled with compassion, as if preaching and teaching.

"Seeing the suffering of all beings, desiring to spread the Dharma and save all, a noble idea, but alas, this temple has been in ruins for many years. Now it has become a place of ghostly activity, with evil spirits rampant, and the light of the Buddha no longer shines here. How tragic."

Su Yi sighed.

In the Great Wasteland of the Nine Provinces, the Buddhist sects were prosperous, owning vast lands, with numerous disciples and continuous incense offerings.

But in the secular world of the Great Zhou, the Buddhist monks seemed to be faring poorly...

At the same time, seeing the armored young lady still sulking, a guard quietly approached and whispered, "Miss, shall we teach this young man a lesson? Or just kill him outright? After all, in this remote area, no one would know how he died."

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ps: The additional update will be posted shortly. There are a few places I'm not satisfied with, so I need to refine them. I'll finish by 7:00.