The King's Coin

But they were members of the Qi Family Gang; they wouldn't do something as cowardly as ending their own lives. Even if they were to die, they would hold on until the very last second.

"But Headman, you're in the best condition..."

Headman Qi glared at him. "What, do you think I can survive fighting that thing in the pool alone?"

"I'm not some Great Bodhisattva."

"Then how can they guarantee they'll save anyone? What if you sacrifice yourself and still no one is saved..."

Headman Qi's voice turned cold. "We still have to try. When all hope is lost, we must grasp at even the slightest chance."

Manager Wu fell silent, carefully wiping the tear stains from his face with his sleeve.

"Headman, I have a special technique that can ensure you don't die when the coin is removed."

Nan Yue crouched down. "However... I can't guarantee we'll survive until the end."

Headman Qi's eyes lit up; Nan Yue meant that the death she had mentioned earlier wasn't about the moment the King's Coin was taken, but rather that it was still unknown whether they could suppress the thing in the deep pool even with the coin.

It was possible that even after enduring this ordeal, Headman Qi would still end up dying in Fish Fry Village with everyone else.

"Hahahaha!"

Headman Qi burst into a thunderous laugh.

"Then there's even less to discuss. My life and death were never yours to carry anyway."

Nan Yue twirled the silver blade in her hand as Jiang Siyan closed the door behind her, shutting out the prying eyes of the others.

"Headman, eat this."

It was a pain-relief tool Nan Yue had exchanged for with points, though she didn't know if it would work on a native.

In this life-or-death moment, Headman Qi didn't care where the item came from; he swallowed it in one gulp and pulled open his shirt, sitting with his legs spread wide in a bold posture.

"Do it!"

No sooner had he spoken than the silver blade in Nan Yue's hand sliced through his skin, and fine beads of sweat instantly broke out on Headman Qi's forehead.

It seemed the tools exchanged with points didn't have much effect on the natives of the pollution world.

Nan Yue moved quickly, the silver blade sinking deep along with the white mist; just as Headman Qi's entire body began to tremble, Nan Yue flicked her wrist, and an exquisite copper coin was hooked by the tip of the blade and pulled from the flesh.

In the next moment, the white mist healed the wound at a visible speed, and within seconds, it was restored as if he had never been injured.

Headman Qi let out a long breath; the pain in his chest still lingered in his nerves, but it had indeed been fast.

And magical.

He panted heavily, staring wide-eyed at the copper coin on the tip of Nan Yue's blade.

That thing really was inside his heart.

His Great Ancestor's gall was truly too great!

Headman Qi didn't know whether to complain or feel lucky, so he eventually managed just one word.

"Impressive."

It was unclear what he was referring to.

To Zhu Xi Ning, the King's Coin on Nan Yue's blade was now glowing with golden light; its radiance had been faint before because it was hidden within the flesh, shrouded by essence and blood which masked its dragon qi.

"A-Nan!"

Zhu Xi Ning was somewhat excited, and Nan Yue knew then that this item was indeed the only thing capable of restraining the entity in the deep pool.

Thinking deeper, did the monster in the deep pool really travel all this way specifically to find the Qi Family Gang just to lure people here to eat?

Wouldn't that be a bit too deliberate?

Nan Yue even suspected that it was after this King's Coin.

Once the King's Coin embedded in the flesh was transformed along with Headman Qi's body, it likely wouldn't be something that could restrain the monster when it was eventually swallowed; instead, it would be absorbed to strengthen the entity itself.

That was why it had gone to such trouble to target the Qi Family Gang.

No matter how powerful the Qi Family Gang was, they were just a horse gang from the greenwood; they knew a few tricks to restrain dark things, but they were no match for that entity.

Not to mention the connections were intricate and tangled; if the core issue of the transformation hadn't been discovered, even the greatest abilities would be useless.

Besides, the only one in the Qi Family Gang with real courage and capability was Headman Qi; even if he had discovered the King's Coin in his heart, he would have died if he tried to remove it.

By the time the water flooded the village and the thing in the deep pool was released, the power of this copper coin would have been greatly diminished.

No matter how one looked at it, it was a guaranteed win for the monster.

The thing in the deep pool had lived for who knew how many years and had actually developed intelligence.

It had almost succeeded, but it ran into Nan Yue and the others.

Or rather, it had already succeeded many times before.

More than a hundred people had died here, with hundreds of skeletons soaking in the jars, not to mention many others like Zhao Laoqi who had died outside.

"What do we do now?"

Manager Wu blinked, not expecting things to go so quickly and smoothly.

And the copper coin really was in Headman Qi's heart!

"Now, we need to take this and suppress the monster in the deep pool."

Headman Qi put on his clothes. "Is it enough to just throw the King's Coin in?"

Nan Yue shook her head. "The most certain way is to drive the King's Coin into the creature's body."

Headman Qi and Manager Wu were both stunned; taking the King's Coin only required the courage to risk one's life.

But driving the King's Coin into that thing's body was not something an ordinary person could do.

Looking at the thing in the deep pool, one would likely be eaten as soon as they went down.

"Fine, give the King's Coin to me."

The veins on Headman Qi's face were throbbing, but he still resolutely reached out his hand.

Nan Yue shook her head; she rinsed the King's Coin with water and held it in her hand, feeling its burning heat against her palm.

"I'll go."

Jiang Siyan bowed his head behind Nan Yue, saying nothing.

Nan Yue before leaving, soaked the King's Coin in the little water they had left and instructed Manager Wu to distribute it to everyone.

It could slow down the progression of the blisters.

Manager Wu drank a bowl first; the blisters that were once the size of eggs actually began to shrink—slowly, but the burning itch truly subsided.

Manager Wu's eyes lit up. "It really works!"

"Headman, drink quickly!"

"Let the other brothers drink first!"

"You're injured, so you drink first. I've already told Xiao Jiang to call the others."

"Where am I injured? There's not even a scar!"

"..."

Hope rose again as people heard the news, but basic order remained; those in the most serious condition were placed at the front to drink first.

Those behind were also grimacing in pain, but they didn't utter a word of complaint.

"Quick! Go call Dapeng and the others! Don't sleep!"

"Dapeng! Dapeng..."

"Dapeng is gone!"

"Little Six is gone too!"

"Headman! Several brothers who went back to their rooms to rest are missing!"

The crowd suddenly fell into chaos as terrified screams rang out.

"Ah!!"

"W-what is this?!"

"D... Dapeng?"

When Zhu Xi Ning and the others arrived, two horsemen were slumped on the ground in terror, while the others surrounded the area but didn't dare get close.

What they were looking at was a pale, slippery human skin wrapped inside a straw mat bedroll.

While the others were outside warming themselves, these people had their flesh and blood silently dissolved, leaving behind only empty husks of skin.

Zhu Xi Ning stepped forward and shook out the skin; it was indeed Dapeng, the one who had seen the strange villager when he got up during the night.

Now, there were two black hollows where his eyes should be, and a mouth that was a dark void, exactly as he had described.