Dead?
Lu Gang was stunned for a moment, then asked, "What conflict did you have with him?"
"Sort of," Liang Qu briefly explained what had happened at the martial hall.
"So I wanted to go and see what exactly happened."
Lu Gang shook his head and put down the Crimson Mourning Feather.
"It's too dangerous for you to go alone. I'll accompany you."
He wasn't joking.
Lu Shaohui, a two-barrier martial artist, had been killed, and his internal organs had been eaten.
It was highly likely that a spirit beast was behind this.
Who knew if the spirit beast was still lurking nearby? Once a creature becomes a spirit beast, it becomes incredibly cunning.
Liang Qu felt a bit embarrassed to trouble Lu Gang over such a small matter.
The incident was significant, and the area had probably already been thoroughly searched.
But on second thought, it was better to be safe than sorry, so he decided to trouble his senior brother once more.
"Wait for me."
Lu Gang turned and left the meditation room.
When he returned, he was holding several black stones.
He placed the stones next to the crimson feather.
Under the heat, the stones quickly changed color, their surfaces gradually covered with dark red veins that intertwined with the feather, resembling several pulsating hearts.
"These are Fire Red Stones, high-quality charcoal stones. Placed nearby, the energy of the Crimson Mourning Feather won't decrease in the short term; in fact, it will increase. Let's go."
The two set off from a small path beside Huang's Cloth Shop.
After walking for a while, they came across a flat dirt road.
Although there were withered grasses, the lack of trees made it stand out from the surroundings, making it easy to tell that this used to be a proper road.
"The Dharma Lotus Temple has been abandoned for decades. I remember the monks were all killed when the country was first established. At that time, Peaceful Sun Town was just a small village. I don't remember the exact location, but it should be around here. The footprints on the ground are fresh, and the shoes are of good quality, so they must belong to the officials," Lu Gang said, glancing down.
The ground was hard in winter, but it had rained the previous night, making the soil soft and wet.
The footprints left behind were very clear.
The Dharma Lotus Temple had been abandoned for a long time, and it was far from the town, located near the mountain peak.
Even beggars rarely went there.
The sudden appearance of so many footprints in a short time could only mean that the investigators had been there.
Lu Gang took the lead.
"Let's go. Stay behind me and be careful."
Lu Gang's burly figure provided a strong sense of security as he walked ahead.
Treading on the soft yellow soil, Liang Qu looked around.
The surrounding forest was dense, and though there weren't many leaves, one could imagine how deep and secluded it would be in summer.
After walking a few hundred meters, the view suddenly opened up, and they could see the Dharma Lotus Temple at the mountain peak.
The temple's vermilion outer walls had completely peeled off, revealing the gray wall beneath.
Years of wind and rain had turned the gray into a dark, almost black color, with dark green moss covering the corners.
Slender, withered vines spread across one corner of the roof, deeply rooted in the gaps between the tiles, like parasitic trees drawing nutrients from the earthen walls.
Did Lu Shaohui die here? Why here, of all places? It's so remote.
Liang Qu couldn't figure it out.
Could it be that a demonic beast killed him and then dragged him here? Otherwise, why would Lu Shaohui come to this dilapidated temple?
As they approached, the lintel at the entrance had completely collapsed, revealing broken bricks inside.
The guard on duty, seeing Lu Gang's imposing figure, didn't dare to scold them but simply said, "No entry for civilians!"
Lu Gang took out a waist token from his belt and flashed it.
"Lu Gang, direct disciple of Yang Dongxiong. Do you recognize me?"
"Ah, it's Master Lu! Please, come in."
The guard bent over and invited them in.
He didn't recognize Lu Gang, but the token was exquisitely made.
Whether it was real or not, it wasn't something an ordinary person would have.
The guards on both sides bowed and greeted them respectfully, without any hint of arrogance, as if they were a completely different group from the ones seen during the autumn tax collection.
Following behind Lu Gang, Liang Qu was wide-eyed with curiosity, eager to try out his own waist token.
Unfortunately, once inside, the guards were all very respectful, and he didn't get a chance to use it.
Not only the lintel but even the main gate of the Dharma Lotus Temple had rotted away.
Entering the courtyard, Liang Qu immediately spotted the body in the center.
Lu Shaohui had died at the foot of the Buddha statue, his body leaning against the intricately carved Sumeru throne.
Thick, black blood had congealed into strands from the ends of his hair, and his chest had been completely torn open, like two doors on the verge of collapsing.
No, it was more like a cicada's shed skin.
It was as if Lu Shaohui's heart, liver, spleen, and lungs had all gained a life of their own, hatching from his body and bursting out.
A terrifying aura of malevolence emanated from the corpse.
Lu Gang frowned.
Liang Qu felt a bit nauseous and asked, "Senior Brother Lu, can you tell what kind of demonic beast did this?"
The coroner, wearing a small hat and carrying a wicker basket, quickly stood up upon hearing this.
"Can you tell, sir? Master Lu, rest assured, we haven't touched the body since it was discovered. It's exactly as we found it."
He could perform autopsies, but this scene was beyond his experience.
The internal organs didn't look like they had been dug out—it was too clean.
"It's a mountain spirit."
A familiar voice came from behind Liang Qu.
The two turned to look.
"Senior Brother Hu?"
"Junior Brother Hu, what are you doing here?"
"The officials said the coroner couldn't determine the cause of death, so they sent someone to the martial hall to ask me to take a look. I thought since Lu Shaohui was from the martial hall, I should come and see. When I arrived at the entrance, someone said people were already here, and I was wondering who it was. Turns out it's Senior Brother Lu and Junior Brother Liang. Oh, let me introduce you—this is Shi Guangxi, the head of the fast-response team."
Hu Qi strode forward, accompanied by a rough-looking man with a thick beard.
The rough-looking Shi Guangxi quickly clasped his hands in greeting.
"Greetings, sirs."
Lu Gang nodded, and Liang Qu followed suit.
After greeting them, Shi Guangxi turned to Hu Qi and asked urgently, "Master Hu, you just said it's a mountain spirit? Is it a demonic beast?"
Hu Qi didn't answer immediately but looked at Lu Gang.
"Senior Brother Lu, what do you think?"
"Most likely."
"What's a mountain spirit?" Liang Qu felt he needed to catch up on some knowledge.
Lu Gang explained, "It's a type of mountain-dwelling spirit beast that resembles a human. Its skin is as rough as dried wood, and it's difficult to pierce with blades or spears. In its early stages, it likes to eat livestock, but as it grows, it develops a taste for human organs.
When it reaches adulthood, it lays egg sacs inside humans. When the eggs hatch, the person's chest will burst open like this." Junior Brother Liang, don't worry.
Master has already arranged for you to attend the academy.
What we study is different from what ordinary scholars learn.
You'll get to know everything you need to in time.
"Liang Qu felt reassured. Hu Qi walked around the area and returned with a grave expression."
If this is the death site, then this mountain spirit is very powerful.
Lu Shaohui was a two-barrier martial artist, capable of breaking stones with his bare hands.
Yet there are almost no signs of a struggle nearby.
He likely died in an instant.
Moreover, the mountain spirit's egg sacs hatch very quickly, but even the fastest would take at least two days.
"Liang Qu was shocked."
So he really died the same day he left the martial hall?
"Hu Qi nodded."
That's most likely the case.
"Lu Gang said,"It's best to inform Master first and let him make arrangements.
This mountain spirit poses a significant threat to ordinary martial artists.
"Shi Guangxi, listening nearby, was trembling with fear."
What about ordinary people? Isn't it even worse for them?
"Hu Qi shook his head."
Not necessarily.
Big fish eat small fish, and small fish eat shrimp.
Mountain spirits prefer prey with strong vitality, so a mountain spirit of this level isn't much of a threat to ordinary people.
"Shi Guangxi breathed a sigh of relief, only to have his heart leap into his throat again the next second."
However, this mountain spirit has hatched a smaller mountain spirit.
Unlike the larger ones, the smaller ones are more dangerous.
Head Shi, you should increase patrols in the area over the next few days.
""Yes, yes, but Master Hu, you must help us!
How can we ordinary people deal with mountain spirits and demonic beasts? I'll report to the county magistrate and offer a generous reward.
We won't let you down.
""Don't worry, we'll definitely keep an eye out.
If we can resolve it, that would be best.
But where are the martial artists from your office?
""Ah, don't even ask,"Shi Guangxi said with a pained expression."
For some reason, all the martial artists in the office seem to have been assigned tasks recently.
I haven't seen a single one.
"Hu Qi looked thoughtful. Seeing that someone was handling the situation, Lu Gang prepared to leave."
Since Junior Brother Hu is here, I'll head back first.
Junior Brother Liang has brought back a Crimson Mourning Feather, and we need to refine it quickly before it loses potency.
"Hu Qi was surprised."
A Crimson Mourning Feather? Where did you get it?
"Reluctantly, Liang Qu recounted the story of how he had found the feather. Hu Qi looked envious."
Junior Brother Liang, your luck is extraordinary.
But given your current strength, it's best to use the Crimson Mourning Feather to forge a weapon in one go.
After all, spirit weapons are hard to come by.
You two go ahead and return.
Head Shi and I will take a look around the area."
Lu Gang nodded.
He had mentioned it in front of Hu Qi to let Liang Qu know that his suggestion wasn't motivated by a desire to forge a spirit weapon.
(End of Chapter)