Wuzhou City

Ning Zhou asked in astonishment, “W-Why are they bowing? Where did that incense come from?”

Song Yao also felt that something was off.

After finishing their prayers inside the temple, the few of them placed their incense sticks into the burner and walked out.

Ning Zhou hurriedly stepped forward and asked, “Why did you suddenly offer incense? What kind of temple is this? Did you find any clues?”

Chen He, Ming Ran, and Jiang Jin all paused slightly as they stepped over the threshold.

Ning Zhou asked again, and only then did the three of them seem to snap out of it.

Chen He glanced back. “This is the Antong Shrine, dedicated to the Child-Protecting Goddess. It is said she bestows children, blessings, and wards off illnesses and disasters. We saw a pile of incense in the corner that anyone could take, so we offered a prayer.”

Jiang Jin nodded. “After bowing, I indeed feel much more at peace. Why don't you two go offer a prayer as well?”

The scent of incense was rich, and the face of the Child-Protecting Goddess carried a benevolent, divine aura.

Ning Zhou instinctively lifted his leg to walk in. “Sure, sure. Since we're already here...”

Song Yao grabbed his arm, suddenly sensing something, and looked toward the city gates. “Wait. The city gates are open.”

Everyone followed her gaze.

The gates that had been tightly shut just moments ago had opened at some point, revealing a gap wide enough for a single person to pass through.

Ming Ran's eyes lit up. Unable to suppress her urgency, she immediately said, “Great! Let's get inside quickly!”

With that, she held her sword and rushed toward the city gates.

Seeing this, the others couldn't care less about offering prayers anymore and hurriedly followed her.

Song Yao and the two medical cultivators fell behind at the very back, feeling somewhat helpless.

Right after they offered prayers in a bizarre temple, the city gates opened, and turbid mist billowed inside, obscuring the view of the city.

No matter how one looked at it, this seemed like a trap designed to lure them in.

Yet, Ming Ran had already plunged headfirst into the mist and vanished from sight.

Cheng Yue had clearly realized this as well. Just as she was about to step through the gates, she stopped and held back the people behind her. “Wait, something feels off.”

She looked back at the two medical cultivators. “Senior Brother, Senior Sister, how about you wait outside first? If there are demons in the mist, we might not be able to protect you.”

After saying this, she hesitated.

The situation inside was abnormal, but the outside didn't seem particularly safe either.

Chen He pondered for a moment. “I'll stay behind to protect them. The rest of you go in first to check the situation, and come back for us once you've scouted the path.”

Cheng Yue nodded and drew her sword, its blade gleaming with a cold light. “Alright, let's go. Don't get separated.”

The four of them huddled close together and shuffled inside in a line.

However, the instant she stepped inside, Song Yao realized something was wrong.

The people beside her had vanished.

Demonic energy was circulating within the mist.

No wonder they couldn't hear any sound from inside while outside the city gates, and their spiritual senses couldn't penetrate the barrier.

This Wuzhou City was actually a demon realm.

Just what level of demon could deploy such a massive demon realm to envelop an entire city?

No, wait.

If Wuzhou City was trapped inside a demon realm, how did the news of the Ming family reach Ming Ran?

Did the demon deliberately send out the message to lure them here?

Have demons become smart now?

Song Yao raised an eyebrow, finding it rather interesting, and continued walking inward.

The peace jade pendant at her waist glowed faintly in the darkness, pushing back the white mist at her feet and illuminating a path for her.

Before long, the mist enveloping the edge of the demon realm thinned out slightly, revealing the streets and alleys of Wuzhou City.

This was likely a relatively prosperous district in the city.

Shops lined both sides, but all of them were shuttered with their windows tightly closed. Not a single soul was in sight.

While the sun had been setting in a clear sky outside, dark clouds hung low and heavy here as if it were about to pour. The air was thick with moisture.

Just as she was thinking about finding someone to ask for directions to the Ming family, a sudden burst of crying echoed from the end of the alley, trembling with despair. “Help... Is there anyone who can help me? Help...”

Song Yao immediately changed her direction.

What good luck.

A person had practically delivered themselves to her.

Following the sound, she found a woman wrapped in a patched gray cloak lying on the stone-paved road of the narrow alley.

Her face was hidden inside her hood, making it impossible to see. Her hands tightly clutched her highly distended belly, and a rather shrill cry escaped from beneath the cloak. “Help! Save me! I'm about to give birth! I'm about to give birth...”

Before Song Yao could do anything, hurried footsteps approached from ahead.

Ming Ran ran out from another corner. Seeing her, she said in pleasant surprise, “Little Master! You're here too!”

Without time for explanations, she rushed over and squatted beside the woman. “How are you? Can you hold on? I'll find someone to help you...”

Halfway through her sentence, her gaze drifted past the woman's slipping hood. When she saw the face clearly, her voice came to an abrupt halt, and she gasped in shock, “Huh? You... why are you...”

Song Yao walked up to Ming Ran's side and looked down at the person on the ground.

The person in the cloak looked up, face still stained with miserable tears, crying out shrilly and pitifully.

Yet, what was revealed was a man's face with sharp, rugged features and a mouth full of stubble.

He grabbed the hem of Song Yao's robe with immense force, wailing in agony, “It hurts, it hurts so much! Help me! My stomach hurts so much!”

Ming Ran quickly snapped out of her shock. Exchanging a glance with Song Yao, she hurriedly retrieved a pill from her spatial pouch and fed it to him. “This is a Qi-Replenishing Pill. I'll go find help! Just wait here a moment.”

She was about to stand up when the man on the ground grabbed her arm. “W-Wait... I know where to go. Take me... take me to Caopu Hall. It's right nearby...”

Ming Ran immediately agreed. She sheathed her sword, bent down, and scooped him up in a princess carry. “Show me the way.”

Song Yao followed beside them. She examined his condition, and a strange look flickered in her eyes.

Just a moment ago, she had guessed that this "girl" might simply have a rugged appearance, sharp features, and a thick stubble. She had even felt a bit envious of how robust "she" was.

As it turned out, he really was a man.

A man with a highly distended belly like a woman about to give birth was clearly abnormal.

Yet, there was no demonic energy on him. He was just an ordinary human.

After a few steps, they arrived at the entrance of Caopu Hall.

The dilapidated wooden doors were half-open. Several sword-wielding cultivators stood guard at the entrance of the courtyard, looking highly alert.

Seeing them approach, the cultivators frowned and barked, “Who goes there?!”

In the next instant, when they clearly saw Ming Ran's face, they were all stunned. “Y-Young Mistress?!”

Carrying the man who was about to give birth, Ming Ran was burning with anxiety and had no time for pleasantries. She urgently pressed, “Stop wasting time! He can't hold on much longer!”

One of the cultivators snapped out of it and hurriedly pushed the door open to make way. “Quick, quick! Carry him into the inner chamber!”

“Alright.”

Ming Ran hurriedly carried him inside, quickening her pace.

A cultivator behind them shouted toward another room, “Someone come quickly! Li the Second is about to give birth!”

Song Yao stepped into Caopu Hall a moment later and saw that the spacious courtyard was packed with people.

Every single one of them had a numb, ashen complexion, merely glancing up when they saw outsiders arrive.

Without a doubt, these must be the citizens of Wuzhou City.

She scanned the crowd and noticed something wrong.

Every single person sitting here, regardless of gender...

Why did they all have highly distended bellies, looking as if they were about to give birth?