Chapter 398: Envoy of the Demon Palace
The blazing campfire cast a flickering shadow on the villagers' figures.
They all stood nervously at the edge of the square, huddled closely together, their faces pale, eyes filled with fear. Even their feet trembled incessantly, making it difficult for them to stand steady.
Everyone is aware that tonight is the final moment.
If this group of malevolent spirits remains true to their agreement, then after tonight, many among them will be able to survive.
Up until now, this group of malevolent spirits, while ruthlessly taking lives and nearly consuming all the children in the village, has nevertheless remained true to their initial promise upon entering the village. As long as the villagers stay inside their houses and refrain from attempting to escape, they will not be killed.
This is also the last thread of hope that sustains the villagers from collapsing…
Endure through tonight… as long as they endure through tonight, at the very least, many among them will be able to survive.
And everyone hopes to be among those individuals…
On the elevated platform, the Red Devil gazed contentedly upon the congregation of villagers below, nodding approvingly, and uttered, "Indeed, excellent, highly discerning, exceptionally obedient. It is by virtue of your docility that you are able to survive… highly commendable, I am enamored by all of you."
The Blue Devil chuckled and said, "They say the wise recognize the circumstances, and although this village may be remote and sparsely populated, it appears to have quite a few wise individuals… Since you cooperate with us, we will also cooperate with you. Let us work together, understand each other, and thus avoid many complications."
The Red Devil effortlessly flicked its hand, elegantly throwing a box of half a zhang in height directly in front of the villagers. This box had a circular opening at the top, perfectly accommodating an arm.
The Red Devil addressed the villagers below, saying, "Draw the lot of fate. If you draw the lot of death, you shall perish. If you draw the lot of life, you shall survive. Let each person come forward to draw a straw, and after all have drawn, we shall ascertain the outcome… Do you comprehend?"
The inquiry of the Red Devil prompted the villagers to hastily nod, fearing the prospect of inadvertently provoking the towering, fearsome creature standing at a height of over three meters.
With a clap of his hands, the Blue Devil smiled and said, "Great! Let's start drawing lots now, one by one. After drawing, hold onto your own lot and move to the side."
As he spoke, the Blue Devil waved his hand, and suddenly, on the vast expanse of white snowy ground, two luminous circles appeared, one blue and one red.
The Blue Devil said, "Those who draw a red lot, step into the red circle, and those who draw a blue lot, step into the blue circle."
The two demons exchanged words back and forth, guiding the villagers on what they should do.
And all the villagers present obediently followed suit, be it the elderly in their eighties or the children in their early teens. They lined up in remarkable compliance, one after another, and approached the box that stood half a zhang tall, extending their hands into the box to draw lots.
After drawing the lots, the villagers proceeded one after another towards the two luminous circles not far away, stepping into the circle with the corresponding color based on the lot they drew.
Soon, all the villagers completed the lot-drawing, dividing themselves into two distinct groups. One group of people held red lots and stood within the red circle, while the other group held blue lots and stood within the blue circle.
Everyone watched with both nervousness and anticipation as they gazed upon the Red-blue Twin Devils standing on the elevated platform, yearning to know which lot was the ill-fated one.
However, Ningpo, who had kept his eyes closed all along, suddenly opened them wide and furrowed his brows, looking towards the direction of the village entrance.
"Hmm?" In that fleeting moment, it sensed something amiss.
And Ningpo's reaction immediately caught the attention of the Red-blue Twin Devils, as well as Xie Yunniang.
The trio of demonic creatures all turned their gaze towards it, and inquired, "Has the envoy arrived?"
In the voices of the three demonic creatures, there was an unmistakable undercurrent of unrestrained delight.
Ningpo, with his eyes widened, furrowed his brows and fell silent for a moment as he looked toward the village entrance. After a few breaths, he slowly shook his head and said, "Perhaps it was a misperception…"
For some unknown reason, in that fleeting moment just now, it seemed as if something were peering at this remote little mountain village from the village entrance. However, when Ningpo examined it carefully, he couldn't sense it anymore.
Just as Ningpo was about to rise and personally go to the village entrance to investigate, a hearty laughter resounded from afar outside the village.
"Hahaha…Mr. Ningpo, your cultivation is truly extraordinary. Even in my concealed approach, you have detected my presence. It seems that my attempt to surprise you all has been in vain."
In the midst of the hearty laughter, a figure sliced through the night sky and swiftly penetrated the concealed defensive formation that shielded the village, flying straight in.
Finally, amidst the startled gazes of the four wicked spirits, he landed beside the blazing bonfire.
"Hahaha… On the New Year's Eve, although I couldn't attend the Lord's banquet, being able to gather with all you fellow cultivators of the demonic path is also a joyous occasion."
After landing, that figure laughed heartily and respectfully bowed with clasped fists to the four wicked spirits, saying, "I, Mo Xingzi of the Arctic Skyark Palace, have come on behalf of the Lord to escort you four cultivators back to the palace."
Amidst the radiant glow of the fire, stood a statuesque and robust woman. Her skin was delicate and her features alluring, with a pair of eyes that shimmered like autumn waters, luminous and resplendent. However, her physique was sturdy, with well-defined muscles, and she even sported a thick, full beard on her cheeks.
Such an eerie appearance left the onlookers, the villagers, in awe and terror.
The four wicked spirits promptly stood up to pay their respects, each introducing themselves by name, creating a warm and joyous atmosphere that was simply delightful.
Even the Red-blue Twin Devils, who are known for their eccentricity, greeted the demonic figure from the Arctic Skyark Palace with smiles and refrained from provocation.
Only the slender and fragile figure of a young boy sat alone at the edge of the square, still cross-legged with closed eyes, immersed in solitary cultivation. It seemed as if the outside world had no connection to him, not even the arrival of the demonic envoy from the Arctic Skyark Palace could make him open his eyes.
After seeing the peculiar young man, Mo Xingzi said with slight surprise, "Is this the disciple of the Wolf God from Hanyu Mountain? Indeed, his demeanor is impressive, exhibiting great charisma."
The Red-blue Twin Devils coughed, implying that it is difficult to say whether this youth was always like this before.
Ningpo looked up and down at Mo Xingzi before him, unable to dispel the inexplicable uneasiness in his heart. He couldn't help but ask, "When the envoy arrived earlier, did you pause at the village entrance for a brief moment and observe the situation within?"
The query posed by Ning Po slightly bewildered Mo Xingzi.
She turned around and looked behind her, saying, "I just arrived and haven't had a chance to see the situation inside the village, yet Mr. Ning discovered me… Could it be that there were others spying at the village entrance when I arrived?"
Mo Xingzi furrowed her brows and said, "However, my divine consciousness swept through, yet I was unable to detect any trace of living beings in the vicinity of this small village."
"I have brought the [Snowfall Broom], bestowed upon me by the palace lord, this time. It can uncover and detect any lurking living creatures in the vicinity. If there are any beings spying around this small village, they certainly won't be able to escape the detection of the Snowfall Broom."
Mo Xingzi said, and immediately summoned a small pale white broom, saying, "As long as it is a living being, regardless of their cultivation level, even the palace lord cannot hide from the perceptive ability of this snowfall broom."
The white broom swayed a few times in the void before flying back into the sleeve of Mo Xingzi.
Seeing this scene, she breathed a sigh of relief and said, "There are no living beings spying in the nearby area…"
Mo Xingzi was actually a little concerned about coming over and encountering the terrifying scene of the Wolf God from Hanyu Mountain knocking on the door.
