Chapter 471: Chapter 471: Suppression (Part 1)

The sun that had blazed fiercely all day gradually sank in the west, and once again the night curtain shrouded the earth.

Zhang Yuan’s gaze fell on the village that appeared ahead.

This place was very close to the official road, originally it should have been a densely populated area, with rows of houses and at least a hundred or two families.

Moreover, these houses looked quite tidy, suggesting a prosperous village.

But now the village was deathly silent, with no rising smoke from kitchens, no sounds of chickens or dogs.

As for human figures, not a single one was to be seen!

This deserted village gradually sank into darkness, and as the wind blew, it swept up the fallen leaves, giving an indescribable desolate feel.

And an eerie vibe.

Zhang Yuan squinted his eyes, staring for a moment, then turned to ask Mo Huai’an beside him, "Junior brother, do you want to go in and take a look?"

Two days ago, he and Mo Huai’an went their separate ways from the caravan, continuing to Yong’an City.

In the past two days, they passed by many villages.

Yong’an City, being a state capital, naturally had a bustling level of prosperity, and it was normal for villages and farms to be scattered around.

What was not normal was that all these villages were empty.

Although the Yongzhou region had suffered a consecutive months-long drought, rivers dried up, wells exhausted, and the lives of common people were hard and miserable, so going out to escape famine and avoid natural disasters wasn’t strange.

But for whole villages to have not a soul in sight was unusual.

Zhang Yuan and Mo Huai’an searched several villages and farms, and they didn’t even find a single corpse.

This was very bizarre.

"Yeah."

Mo Huai’an nodded, stroking his mount’s neck affectionately, "Let’s rest in this village for the night."

The weather was too scorching, causing significant physical strength exhaustion for the horses, and after running for half the day, they were already exhausted, needing food and water replenishment, along with sufficient rest.

Otherwise, the horses wouldn’t be able to support themselves.

So the two headed towards the village one after the other.

Following the relatively smooth village path, Zhang Yuan and Mo Huai’an reached the center of the village.

A shrine with blue bricks and black tiles appeared before them.

The shrine’s main door was wide open, faintly revealing the ancestral tablets and household guardian deity altar inside.

In the Yongzhou area, it was common for local people to worship household guardian deities, placing the altar alongside ancestral tablets to seek protection and blessings for the home, to ward off and expel eerie evil spirits.

Zhang Yuan’s keen eyes immediately noticed that most of the tablets in the shrine had toppled over.

And the household guardian deity altar was cracked in two, the statues inside severely damaged.

Mo Huai’an exchanged a meaningful glance with him.

The two dismounted together, leading their mounts into the shrine.

Zhang Yuan inspected both inside and out, confirming no danger present, then said to Mo Huai’an, "I’ll go find some food and water, I’ll be back soon."

Mo Huai’an nodded, "Stay safe."

Having traveled together, the two had already formed a tacit understanding.

Mo Huai’an retrieved an array plate and talisman from his luggage and set up an array inside the shrine.

Compared to when he had just left the mountain gate, his movements were now very skilled.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yuan carefully searched the village.

Indeed, he made some discoveries.

Some families were mostly intact, showing no signs whatsoever of being looted or fleeing from famine.

Zhang Yuan found quite a bit of rice, as well as cured meat, dried vegetables, and other ingredients.

He even discovered a cellar filled with grain!

If the people of this village had all gone to escape famine, how could they possibly leave these grains behind?

So the villagers’ disappearance was extremely peculiar.

There’s a high chance it was related to something eerie!

Considering the current drought situation in Yongzhou, Zhang Yuan had a faint suspicion.

But for now, he didn’t dwell on it too much, instead bringing some usable ingredients back to the shrine to prepare dinner for the night.

As for fresh water, the two wells in the village had long dried up, so Zhang Yuan took it from his storage space.

As long as he didn’t say anything, Mo Huai’an wouldn’t think too much either.

Just assumed Zhang Yuan was quite resourceful.

After feeding the horses and the gray-toothed lynx, Zhang Yuan set up a fire to cook the two’s meals.

This village was not small and relatively wealthy, thus the shrine was spacious enough to accommodate their needs.

While cooking, he shared his findings in the village with Mo Huai’an.

After listening, Mo Huai’an firmly stated, "It must be something eerie at work!"

His expression was extremely serious, "The feeling this village gives me is very unsettling, and there’s an eerie aura lingering. I’m worried tonight won’t be peaceful!"

Just as the young mage’s words fell, an evil wind abruptly blew within the shrine.

The cold, eerie wind swept across the fire, causing the flames to flicker and leap!

The gray-toothed lynx, lying nearby chewing on cured meat, suddenly raised its head, baring its teeth and growling softly.

Zhang Yuan’s eyes flashed, and he smiled, "Let them come then."

Clang!

He suddenly drew the Taowu Saber and placed it horizontally across his lap, the intense blood evil qi instantly spreading in all directions.

As the evil qi emerged, the rising evil wind was forcibly suppressed.

Mo Huai’an, with fingers pinching a magic formula, closed his eyes, then reopened them, his eyes flashing with divine light, deep as an abyss.

This young mage took a deep breath and shouted, "Chì!"

The array plate set in the shrine’s center suddenly radiated a brilliant light, and a mysterious force descended abruptly, instantly dispelling the chill and eerie evil qi, making the room warm and bright again.

Zhang Yuan stroked the long blade, sensing the craving conveyed by the profound soldiers.

Time trickled by, and unknowingly it was already deep into the night.

The fire within the shrine still burned, the fresh firewood occasionally crackling, while the horses tied in the corner half-opened their eyes, maintaining a state of sleep yet still keeping a degree of alertness.

The gray-toothed lynx curled into a ball, resting its furry head on its leg.

It looked as if it was deep asleep, but its slightly twitching ears indicated that this war beast was always on guard.

Mo Huai’an sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, motionless with his eyes closed.

It seemed he was in deep meditation.

As for Zhang Yuan, he remained at the shrine’s entrance, expressionless, watching the village plunged in darkness.

This uninhabited village was deathly quiet, with no sounds of autumn insects, nor any sight of mosquitoes or moths.

Suddenly, the darkness in front, behind the house, silently lit up with specks of ghostly fire.

These spots of dark purple ghostly fire quietly danced and flashed, approaching the shrine in the village center from all directions.

Forming an encircling stance.

The next moment, Mo Huai’an, who presided over the shrine, suddenly opened his eyes.

A flash of blue light shone between his eyebrows.

The array set around them was instantly activated, a burst of silver-white spiritual light suddenly appeared and expanded, turning into a circle of ripples that spread around, completely ignoring the barrier of walls.

In the blink of an eye, large swathes of the array’s spiritual light swallowed the approaching dark purple ghostly fire!

One by one, eerie creatures revealed their true forms in succession!