Qi Family Gang (16)

Upon reaching the back of Fish Fry Village, Gu Xiang Kai caught a strong scent of aquatic fishiness; following him, the group discovered a path.

It wasn't exactly a small path; it was actually quite wide, suggesting it had once been frequently traveled.

However, it was rarely used now, and the weeds on both sides had grown tall, obscuring the way.

The scent Gu Xiang Kai smelled had only helped them find the direction; what truly revealed this hidden path were the gaps left by the many travelers who had passed through.

Or rather, many animals.

The muddy road was covered in horse hoofprints.

The group exchanged looks; it seemed the missing horses of the Qi Family Gang had come this way.

But what was strange was that only hoofprints could be seen on the road.

If someone had been leading their horses along this path, there would certainly be human footprints as well.

Yet the road was filled with nothing but a chaotic mess of hoofprints.

"Chi Yu, go get Headman Qi."

Chi Yu responded and went back to find him.

Nan Yue had Jiang Yuhao and Yin Qian wait there to provide backup, and she also left Gu Xiang Kai behind. She then took Zhu Xi Ning and Jiang Siyan onto the path that had been overgrown with wild grass.

The road was long and silent; the only sound was the squelching of their shoes getting stuck in the mud and then pulling free.

"Squelch, squelch."

The sound was somewhat irritating.

The sky had brightened, but the sun showed no sign of appearing; it was overcast, looking as if it might rain at any moment.

Cloudy days could dampen one's spirits, let alone in such a strange village.

The three of them walked for about ten minutes, following the winding mud path until they reached a massive pool.

This was located at the very back of Fish Fry Village, where a steep cliff blocked the way, enclosing the entire pool and the village within it.

The cliff stood behind the deep pool like a giant mirror, devoid of moss or vines.

No wonder when they hadn't yet reached this place, the highest point of this mountain looked like a straight, steep wall from a distance.

The smooth cliff was embedded in the back like a blade's edge, as if it were naturally meant to guard this deep pool; it was no exaggeration to call it a wonder of nature.

One couldn't help but marvel at nature's uncanny craftsmanship.

Normally speaking, the geographical location of Fish Fry Village was quite superior.

It wasn't in a hollow but on a slope; except for the cliff at the back, it was ventilated on three sides, making it a good spot in such a humid environment.

However, grain couldn't be grown here, so it was no wonder the horse gang thought they truly imported rice from outside.

Living off the mountain, the people here didn't lack ingredients.

But no matter how unique it was, this deep pool was somewhat concerning.

It was likely a naturally formed lake that had existed for countless years; due to its unique location, this pool of unknown depth had formed beneath the mountain's summit cliff.

"It might also be groundwater welling up," Jiang Siyan remarked after observing it. "There's no telling how deep it is."

If it truly welled up from underground, the depth of this pool and where it led would be impossible to know.

Nan Yue turned to say something, only to suddenly realize that Zhu Xi Ning's face was deathly pale and her body was trembling slightly.

"Xi Ning!"

Hearing Nan Yue's voice, Zhu Xi Ning snapped back to her senses.

She grabbed Nan Yue's hand; her palm was covered in cold sweat.

"A-Nan, that thing!" Zhu Xi Ning swallowed hard. "The thing I saw in my death omen... it's right here."

Zhu Xi Ning's words sent a chill down Nan Yue's spine.

Such a massive and eerie thing was in this deep pool?

That meant the pool was much larger than they had imagined.

"Get back."

They had clearly seen the hoofprints vanish at the edge of the water; now that Zhu Xi Ning had said this, they couldn't rush in regardless of the situation inside.

"It's very dangerous here," Zhu Xi Ning repeated. "Extremely dangerous."

She looked at Nan Yue. "A-Nan, it's a danger that even you cannot act recklessly against."

Nan Yue understood Zhu Xi Ning's meaning; she had no chance of winning against that unknown monster.

What Nan Yue devoured and purified were the resentment and negative emotions within the missions, which were then converted into energy for her use.

But some things had existed in the world for a long time and were not created by the Federation or the pollution world; these were things human power could not contend with.

It was very likely an existence similar to the Ant God.

It could only be delayed, not destroyed.

What was in this pool...?

What exactly had the villagers of Fish Fry Village done here?

This mission was somewhat similar to the one in Antswamp Village—isolated villages, strange villagers, and peculiar beliefs.

But Nan Yue felt this mission seemed even more mysterious than the one in Antswamp Village.

Antswamp Village only had scavengers from start to finish, but Fish Fry Village had the addition of the Qi Family Gang.

What role did the Qi Family Gang play in this?

Furthermore, the Ant God was on land, and they could still run away when facing it.

They didn't know what the thing in the pool was, but one thing was certain: they absolutely could not fall into this water, otherwise...

There would be zero chance of survival.

The sound of a large group of people came from behind; turning around, they saw Headman Qi had arrived.

Naturally, he also saw the hoofprints vanishing at the edge of the pool, and his eyes reddened as he took two steps toward it.

"Headman, that place is dangerous."

Nan Yue stopped him and repeated, "Shaman Zhu saw it; there is an existence there that we cannot approach."

Headman Qi turned to look at Zhu Xi Ning, then back at the deep pool; his face twitched a few times before he finally stopped.

"Not a single horse was found?"

"None."

They had all searched the entire village thoroughly, and not a single horse remained; they had likely all gone into the pool.

"Those bastards! I want an explanation from them!"

Horses were the lifeblood of the horse gang; at the thought of the black horse that had accompanied him for many years, Headman Qi almost let a tear fall.

"Headman... there doesn't seem to be anyone in the village either."

They had made such a ruckus searching for the horses, yet not a single villager had come out to look.

And until now, aside from the horse gang's movements, the entire Fish Fry Village was deathly silent.

"Search again."

Previously, they hadn't entered the buildings in the village; after all, it was someone else's territory, and they had to show some level of etiquette and rules.

But now that their horses were gone, they needed an explanation no matter what.

Don't even try to say the horses ran here on their own; this pool wasn't a meadow, so how could the horses have found it themselves?

Moreover, his black horse was no ordinary beast; it would never easily follow someone else.

He had to get justice for his old partner.

As Headman Qi was giving orders to everyone, it began to rain.

The downpour was heavy, instantly making the already humid air even more damp.

"We can't delay. Everyone, put on your straw raincoats."

Nan Yue gave a reminder; there were straw raincoats in the village, and they shouldn't catch a cold here, as that could be fatal.

The horsemen scattered, knocking on every door.

"Is anyone there?"

"Is anyone home?"

"Open the door!"

The horsemen's knocking and shouting were drowned out by the sound of the rain. Watching this scene, Nan Yue suddenly felt a sense of eeriness.