Chapter 258: Abandoned Village in the Night
Behind Lu Heng, the little boy hesitated to speak.
He really wanted to say that this village was creepy, so why do we camp here tonight?
However, after Father stepped into the small village, Sister Xiao Ai closely followed behind, while Gu Yan flapped his wings and followed after.
Immediately, the only one left standing outside the village was the little boy.
At the desolate and pitch-black entrance of the village, the little boy standing alone was engulfed by the night. In the midst of the surrounding wilderness, it seemed that pairs of eyes were watching him...
The little boy instantly forgot everything he wanted to say, and quickly followed the others, afraid that if he turned around, Lu Heng and the others would be gone.
Although the doors and windows were tightly closed, the village's former prosperity could still be vaguely seen.
Lu Heng stood still for a long time at the threshold of a brothel, looking at the door that was full of fallen leaves, and let out a sigh.
Even the liveliest brothel is now so desolate.
Xiao Ai, on the other hand, walked straight into the brothel, looking around coldly. The dark golden totem seemed to emit a chilling light in the darkness.
Even though it was pitch dark inside the brothel, Xiao Ai could still see everything clearly.
"There is no trace of blood, no signs of a fight, but also no signs of migration."
After walking out of the brothel, Xiao Ai said to Lu Heng, "The people in this house seem to have disappeared into thin air, even the leftovers on the table are still there... just rotten."
Lu Heng nodded and said, "It seems to be the work of demonic creatures... Did they capture all the living people?"
The little boy following beside them was a bit confused, as along the way they had only seen bodies of people killed on the spot by the demonic creatures, with white bones exposed in the wilderness.
But is it not like this in this village?
"What do the demonic creatures want with the living people?" Shen Wuyou asked curiously. "Dad, are the demons planning to take the villagers as hostages to blackmail the wizards?"
Lu Heng sighed and didn't answer.
Xiao Ai said coldly, "Cultivating demonic powers requires blood, but blood cannot always be available. It's troublesome to attack villages and cities every time."
"So capturing living people and raising them in the devil's lair for feeding any time is much more convenient than traveling long distances to kill people in their settlements," she explained.
Xiao Ai's answer made the little boy turn pale.
Even though he had seen many tragic scenes during his journey eastward, he was still frightened at what he saw now.
"Raising...raising humans for blood? Isn't that treating humans like livestock?" The little boy was completely bewildered.
Xiao Ai sneered and said, "Wrong. Not just humans...all things in this world. Humans are just one type of 'human species'. As demon cultivators like you and me also belong to this category."
"Even more so because of our cultivation, we are a more nourishing source of blood for the demons," she explained.
"In the Green Hell Cave, except for ordinary people who don't cultivate cultivation, there must also be various cultivators with cultivation skills," she said.
"If you brother and sister didn't have a special identity, at the moment when you encounter demons in the Green Hell Cave, with your identity as a demon, at least it would be enough for a blood feast banquet, and qualified enough to invite demons from all sides," she said.
Xiao Ai's words made the little boy's face pale and his eyes filled with fear, giving him a deeper understanding of the demons in the Green Hell Cave.
Lu Heng then left the empty brothel and continued walking towards the depths of the village.
Even such a small village worships the god of fire.
Although there is no magnificent Fire God Temple, the Fire God Temple in the center of the village, similar to a temple, is still the most prestigious and sacred building in the village.
However, with the disappearance of the villagers and the abandonment of the village, the temple of the Fire God has also fallen into disrepair.
After pushing open the door, Xiao Ai led them to a filthy and dilapidated temple.
The ground, covered in dust and overgrown with weeds, was littered with black bloodstains. It appeared that there were people who fought against the demon that attacked the village.
Unfortunately, even with the wizard on guard duty, the strength of this small Fire God Temple is definitely not as strong as the demon.
The black blood scattered on the ground silently portrays the scenes of the past cruelty.
Lu Heng sighed as he looked at the solemn statue of the Fire God on the altar.
"Let's spend the night here tonight."
After speaking, Lu Heng walked to the corner and sat down cross-legged, closing his eyes to rest.
Xiao Ai then cleaned Fire God Temple inside and out with the little boy Wuyou, removing the dust, blowing away the cobwebs, and even wiping the altar.
The Fire God statue, covered in cobwebs, was once again revealed, free from the dust.
But nowadays, there is no one in the village to worship Him anymore.
After finishing the cleaning, Xiao Ai took out a small embroidery bag she always carried with her, and from it she pulled out a square-shaped dining table, a complete furnace, matching cookware and seasonings, as well as a range of items such as clean water and dry salted meat.
After cooking the rice over the fire, Xiao Ai went outside the door to pick some wild vegetables in the fields.
However, Lu Heng suddenly opened his eyes and called out to her.
"Just do it casually tonight, there's no need to go out."
Lu Heng's sudden advice made Xiao Ai slightly startled.
Afterward, the little girl looked at the dark and deep village outside the door, squinted her eyes slightly, and nodded, saying, "Xiao Ai understands".
After speaking, the little girl closed the temple door and returned to the courtyard again, preparing a simple meal with the ingredients she had on hand.
The little boy, seemingly confused, looked at the tightly closed temple door and finally realized a possible reason.
But as Lu Heng sat quietly by the fire with his eyes closed, Xiao Ai hesitated to disturb him and could only assist her hesitantly from the side.
Before long, the aroma of the meal wafted through the abandoned Fire God Temple as Lu Heng and his two companions, along with a bird, sat down at the dinner table once again to enjoy their supper.
If you ignore the surroundings and the desolate village outside the courtyard walls, and just look at the three people eating peacefully, it is no different from an ordinary family's dinner.
However, the night wind was whistling and from the distant mountain forests the sound of nocturnal owls occasionally echoed, giving this desolate little village an inexplicably eerie atmosphere.
While in the Fire God Temple, Lu Heng waved his sleeve and the burning campfire was silently extinguished.
With the disappearance of the last ray of light, this abandoned little village was completely engulfed in darkness, devoid of any warmth.
The cold chill gradually spread throughout the village.
While Lu Heng sat quietly in the courtyard, staring at the night sky above him, it wasn't until the moon reached its zenith and midnight arrived that he stood up tall and summoned the profound and eerie Great Seal.
The cold and eerie light emitted from the Great Seal silently descended upon the three people and a bird present.
The young boy Wuyou was shocked to discover that his body seemed to have become transparent.
However, this wasn't just an out-of-body experience, as even his physical body had become cold and insubstantial, fully transforming into a ghostly existence, devoid of any sense of a living person.
Lu Heng's voice sounded in his ears.
"Tonight, I'll take you to see an exciting spectacle."
Lu Heng spoke and looked out of the house, sighing. "Embarking on a showy journey, yet still encountering such a grand gathering...hmm...it appears I have overestimated my own fame."
