Chapter 3: Mass Slaughter (Part 1)

Aunt Chen said, “Let me explain it. Ershier, take Xiaohong with you. There’s one issue that must be resolved—that is, the matter of refining her body with Mingfu. Inside the inner sect, I can find someone to help, but on the road, it will have to be you who refines Xiaohong’s body. Otherwise… her cultivation will be delayed.”
Ershier was stunned. This was indeed a serious problem. He said, “Uh, that’s a problem. Does Grandma Chen have any solution?”
Aunt Chen replied, “Ershier, it’s better if you do it. You’re only nine years old—how can you have so many adult thoughts? There’s no need to worry.”
These words made Ershier’s face turn red. In truth, he was also very conflicted. He had no interest in such a young girl at all, and refining her body wouldn’t be difficult for him. The key issue was that he didn’t want to harm her. According to local customs, if he refined her body but didn’t marry her later, she would surely never get married again. Wouldn’t that be harming her?
After a long pause, Ershier said, “I can refine her body, but I…”
Aunt Chen interrupted him, “As long as you can do it, that’s fine. An old woman like me doesn’t need your promises. Xiaohong, from now on, go to Ershier for body refinement. Don’t be polite with him. Hehe, that’s settled then. I have matters to attend to, so I’m leaving first.” With surprisingly agile steps, the old woman turned and left the living room, disappearing quickly outside.
Ershier thought to himself, “What a cunning old fox! She runs faster than a rabbit! Ah, this is troublesome.”
Chen Hong ran out, her face red, not daring to say a word.
Ershier gave a bitter smile, turned, and entered the underground talisman-making hall, taking out the books on creating hidden talismans. His habit was to first read the books to understand what hidden talismans were and familiarize himself with the production methods, then start imitating them until he mastered them. He was already very skilled at this process.
For the next ten days, Lan Aunt personally delivered meals to the talisman-making room, while Ershier studied tirelessly how to create hidden talismans.
Hidden talismans had specific production methods, and Ershier learned them quickly. Thanks to the growth of his soul, his comprehension and memory had improved, making his learning speed even faster. In just ten days, he managed to create a hidden talisman. Although he hadn’t fully understood its meaning yet, it didn’t stop him from successfully making the first one.

It is best for hidden talismans to be attached to an object; although they can also exist on their own, a hidden talisman that exists alone is just an ordinary one with no function. Once a hidden talisman is attached to an object, it endows that object with a space—very small, about one foot square. If two hidden talismans are attached, the space becomes two feet square, and so on.

A single hidden talisman is very small, only the size of a fingernail, as thin as paper, and black and dull. Guo Shier ran excitedly to his master for an evaluation. The conclusion was that it was average, and more effort was needed, but such a hidden talisman could already be used to create ordinary talisman bags or talisman books.

This result satisfied Guo Shier greatly, as it meant he had mastered the most important talisman. Perhaps the locals didn’t see much importance in it, but after three lifetimes, Guo Shier understood how invaluable such a hidden talisman really was.

He happily created more hidden talismans, staying busy until just before departure.

……

In early summer, the weather gradually became hotter.

On the mountain paths of the Hengjin Mountain Range, a huge convoy wound its way forward.

It was a massive group of over four thousand people and horses, including many pack horses. Almost everyone had a horse, and some even had two or three spare horses, making the convoy exceptionally large.

“Master, do you mean… once we reach Kesheshan Pass, we’ll go on our own?”

This time, Guo Shier didn’t take a carriage because the journey was long, and carriages couldn’t reach many places. So he rode a horse. Fortunately, he had learned to ride in his past life, and although he was young now, riding was no problem for him.

Luo Jie rode a black horse, with the old man almost curled up on the saddle, looking listless. He said slowly, “This speed is really too slow. Taking this opportunity to go out, I want you and your team to gain some experience. Hehe, with an old man like me around, there won’t be any danger.”

Guo Shier was moved, knowing this was his master showing care for him. With a great talisman master watching over them, especially with a great talisman martial artist accompanying them, almost nothing could threaten them.

“Master, how many of us will go on our own?”

Luo Jie replied, “I don’t plan to take too many people. Well, about twenty. Including you five, that’s twenty-five.” He had brought about two hundred people this time, and by selecting twenty-five, the rest would still follow the main group. Since the journey would take about a year, there was plenty of time to handle things along the way.

Guo Shier smiled and said, “Twenty people? Hehe, is Grandpa Qinan also coming?”
Qi Nanshan was a follower of Luo Jie, a disciple with the potential to become a Spell Warrior whom Luo Jie took in when he advanced to a Grand Spellcaster. He was also an exceptionally talented individual. Not long after Luo Jie became a Grand Spellcaster, Qi Nanshan also advanced to a Grand Spell Warrior. Though he was already over a hundred years old and appeared to be an old man, his strength was actually immense.
Luo Jie said with a smile, “Of course he’s coming.”
Qi Nanshan replied weakly, “Shier, what are you up to again, you little rascal?”
Guo Shier was a bit afraid of this old man. When they first left Beifu City, they encountered wildlings on the road. He had seen the old man fight, and even now thinking about it made him shiver. He couldn’t imagine that an old man who seemed listless could move so fast that it was impossible to see his movements. With just one palm strike, a wildling could be flung dozens of meters away, its head shattered like a watermelon hit by a hammer. Dozens of wildlings were killed in just a few minutes, yet the old man still appeared listless, as if he hadn’t done anything at all.
“Grandpa Nanshan, I wasn’t thinking of anything…”
Qi Nanshan wasn’t particularly tall, about average in size, with layers of spell patterns on his bald head. Hunched over his horse, he lacked any aura of a Grand Spell Warrior. He ignored Guo Shier’s reply and simply closed his eyes to rest. His expression was similar to Luo Jie’s—indifferent to everything around them.
Besides Qi Nanshan, the Grand Spell Warrior, there were eight more Spell Warriors, with the rest being Spell Warriors. Including Guo Shier, there were twelve people in total—twenty-five in all. Their strength was comparable to that of a first-class family. With twenty-five people and seventy warhorses, they parted ways from the larger group when they reached Keshe Mountain Pass.
Once separated from the larger group, they increased their speed immediately. The warhorses here were different from those in Guo Shier’s memory—bigger and stronger, with far better endurance for long journeys or rapid sprints than the horses from his past life. They seemed to have excellent stamina, intelligence, and remarkable speed. Of course, such fine warhorses were precious even in this region.
Riding at full speed with the whip in hand was exhilarating, especially when the warhorses galloped wildly.

Guo Shier has been suppressing himself all along. When letting the horse gallop, the feeling is simply wonderful. Plus, having gone through a complete physical training cycle once, his physical condition is even better than at the peak of his previous life, allowing him to control the horse with ease. He was amazed by the horse’s intelligence—it could run almost as he wished, understanding his slightest cues immediately. It was hard not to admire such a warhorse.

Following the mountain path forward, Luo Jie and the others left the larger group far behind. Starting from Keshé Mountain Pass, they rode fast and soon reached a four-way intersection. Guo Shier didn’t want to be at the front; only Huo Bao and Chen Bing were at the forefront. Huo Bao asked, “Elder, which road should we take?”

Luo Zhanzhe stepped forward. Such matters didn’t need the elder to worry about. He said, “Take the road on the left.”

Huo Bao spurred his horse, gently pulled it to the left with his left hand, turned the horse’s head, and shouted, “Go!” He squeezed his thighs together and tapped the horse’s side with his heel, causing it to dash forward immediately. The others followed closely behind.

“Master, where does this road lead?” Guo Shier asked, leaning forward on the horse’s back. The strong wind made it hard to speak.

Luo Jie replied calmly, “There’s a small family ahead. We should arrive by afternoon. We can eat there.” There was a faint glow around him, allowing the wind to flow around it, so he could speak normally. Guo Shier knew it was the protective aura of his life talisman.

After riding nonstop, not long after noon, they saw a small town. Guo Shier estimated it was about dozens of miles away and said happily, “Master, we’re almost there.”

Qi Nanshan suddenly straightened up in his saddle, took a deep breath, and shouted, “Slow down!”

Luo Jie was surprised. “There’s a smell of blood!”

A gust of mountain wind blew, indeed carrying a faint scent of blood. Guo Shier took a deep breath and said, “It’s human blood… not animal blood.”

Luo Zhanzhe shouted, “Get ready for battle!”

Qi Nanshan said, “Send two people…” Two talisman warriors quickly rode forward. He added, “Let’s slow down a bit and stay alert!” This old man usually seemed on the verge of dying, but when trouble arose, he immediately showed a decisive and fierce demeanor.

The others weren’t too nervous. With two masters around, even a few hundred wildlings wouldn’t be a problem. They simply slowed down their horses and headed toward the town.

Huo Bao, Chen Bing, Hong Shi, and Chen Hong seemed a bit nervous, yet their faces showed eagerness. Guo Shier found it amusing and said with a smile, “Baozi, what are you all doing? So nervous… There might not be any enemies ahead.”
Qi Nanshan turned around and asked, “Oh, how do you know there are no enemies?”
The war horses were fast, and even though they had slowed down, it wasn’t long before they could see the outline of the town. Black smoke rose—unburned fumes—and the smell of blood grew stronger. Two Symbol Warriors also returned on horseback.
Guo Shier said, “Grandpa Nanshan, I just guessed it.”
One of the Symbol Warriors reported, “No signs of enemies found. The people in the town… seem to be dead. We checked the corpses; it appears they were killed by wild beasts. Many bodies were torn apart, and the wounds on them weren’t caused by weapons.”
Luo Jie said, “Let’s go into the town and take a look.”