Chapter 61 The Bizarre Small Town
“Brother Yun, I also feel that something about this Qingzhu Town isn’t quite right.”
Lin Zhongyu was the first to speak up. As someone who was very skilled at reading between the lines, she had a knack for picking up on subtle hints.
“Isn’t there a huge commotion about the disappearance cases? Why do all the townsfolk seem completely unaffected? Just now, I even saw people performing acrobatics in the streets, which seemed lively enough. There’s no sign of any panic or worry among them, you know?”
She precisely pointed out the strangeness lurking beneath the pretense of normalcy in the town.
As she finished, her gaze swept over towards Yun Zhonghe, much like a student waiting for their teacher’s approval.
When she caught sight of his nodding and approving eyes, an expression of delight unexpectedly appeared on her face.
“I got recognized by Brother Yun!”
Internally she was jubilant, as if she had just received the best gift ever.
“Yeah, wasn’t it because of these disappearance cases escalating that they had to report it to the Immortal Alliance? And what about the last team of cultivators who came here? Where have they gone? If Qingzhu Town were really as peaceful as it seems, they wouldn’t be completely out of contact,” Luo Qing offered her own views.
Being a lone cultivator, she had experienced many quests and had lots of experience under her belt, although she tended to be quite insecure and timid. Yet, she was actually quite powerful.
However, on account of having Big Brother Yun, who was particularly attentive, Luo Qing found the courage to voice her opinion.
Yun Zhonghe nodded assent, recognizing and accepting Luo Qing’s viewpoint. The latter sighed with relief momentarily, along with a blush creeping across her cheeks due to renewed encouragement.
After some thought, Song Ziwei looked at Yun Zhonghe and asked, “Brother Yun, did you notice anything off when Mayor Wu invited us to stay at his residence? You suddenly interrupted and asked us not to go, is there a problem with that Mayor Wu?”
Yun Zhonghe couldn’t say with certainty whether there was a problem, but he too felt some fishiness in the air. He could only mention a few clues as things currently stood.
“Let me tell you, I was constantly observing Mayor Wu. Once I mentioned not going to his mansion, his face darkened, as if he had been well-prepared for such a scenario. I boldly concluded that Mayor Wu is up to something; the mansion might be akin to a dragon den filled with traps, much like why the previous team of cultivators vanished without a trace. They probably suffered the same fate.”
Pausing for a moment, Yun Zhonghe continued, “But the whole town feels off too. I’ve noticed the actions of everyone here are rather rigid.”
“What do you mean? Other than some peculiar behavior, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong?”
Xiao Yang couldn’t help asking curiously.
Yun Zhonghe stood up, signaling everyone to follow him as he moved toward the window.
He gently opened a small slit in the window, gesturing them to observe. “Take a look down from here.”
From this vantage point, they could see children playing in the alleyways below.
The child who had just hit Mu Jixue with a ball earlier belonged to this group of ball-playing children.
“This isn’t that impolite kid from just now?”
Xiao Yue instantly spotted and recognized him.
Without saying more, Yun Zhonghe joined two fingers together, his spiritual energy pooling into his fingertips as a miniature sword qi burst out from his fingertips and flew towards the ball.
For the first time, everyone witnessed Yun Zhonghe’s skill in refining and shaping qi. They couldn’t help but marvel silently but also wondered what he was up to.
The sword qi grazed the edge of the ball without breaking its surface but sent it flying away.
The ball rolled a few feet away with a soft thud.
“Hmm…”
“You’re amazing, Brother Yun. How did you manage to touch the ball with your sword qi and not damage it at all?”
“Not only did you master refining and shaping qi at the Foundation Establishment Stage, but you’ve also manipulated it to such a detailed level. I’m in awe.”
Song Ziwei, being one of the disciples of the Tianjian Sect, where sword cultivation experts were bred, had never seen such a prodigy before. She had heard some exaggerated tales about Yun Zhonghe in Cangzhou City, which she initially dismissed, but seeing it firsthand,
Yun Zhonghe: “…”
Hey, I’m not here to show off! Can’t you all concentrate on something other than my techniques?
Maybe this is the occupational disease of cultivators.
Helplessly, he pointed at the children, urging everyone to focus.
However, the kids seemed oblivious, continuing to play with the ball, albeit mechanically.
“This—what’s going on?!”
Xiao Yue shivered, her face paling at the bizarre scene.
In response, everyone’s hair stood on end.
Luo Qing, who had the lowest profile, bravely voiced her thoughts: “Those people are puppets! Everyone in this town has turned into puppets!”
To everyone’s surprise, Yun Zhonghe didn’t refute but instead gave her an encouraging look.
Immediately becoming the focal point of everyone’s attention, Luo Qing felt somewhat uneasy yet managed to speak up.
“I have seen people like this before,” Luo Qing seemed lost in memories. “My village back home was like this. One night, everyone turned into puppets.”
“It was six years ago. I was a little girl then, running around in the woods when I somehow escaped the incident. But when I returned to the village, I noticed something amiss. Why were people still working late in the fields? I was so scared I ran away.”
“Later on, I saw many cultivators come to the village. They told me that evil cultivators had possessed everyone, turning them into living-dead puppets beyond saving.”
“Then, a kind cultivator gave me a cultivator’s manual and some travel funds, allowing me to survive by training myself.”
As she spoke, Luo Qing couldn’t help shivering.
Her experience had undoubtedly left a deep impression on her.
“To become a puppet, they have a distinct feature: extremely black, lifeless eyes. When not controlled, they repeat the same actions aimlessly,” Luo Qing added.
Yun Zhonghe looked thoughtful, nodding. “Right. Everyone in this town has become a puppet! Back when we first entered the town, I heard the vegetable vendor and the buyer haggle four times, always reaching the same price. The children playing kept tripping at the exact spot five times.”
“Everyone’s actions are repetitive, at first glance, it may not be noticeable, but upon closer inspection, you will realize something’s off!”
“But Mayor Wu behaves like a normal person. Either he’s an evil cultivator, or he’s being controlled by one, or he’s aiding the evil. He can’t be innocent.”
After thorough analysis, it seemed the mysterious aura surrounding the town was gradually clearing up, causing everyone to feel a sense of unease. They were no longer as carefree as when they arrived.
They realized the severity of the situation they were facing.
Seeing this, Yun Zhonghe felt the plot was progressing positively.
Though the original story didn’t go into detail, it did mention that the team walked into a trap right away upon entering the town, and by the time they realized something was wrong, it was already too late.
Subsequently, the group fled to the dungeon and eventually uncovered clues about the previous team’s fate, leaving only Qin Hongye, who had been mistakenly drawn in.
Despite a fierce fight for survival, they ultimately succumbed to the evil cultivators, escaping with only two of them.
Their current situation was far better than what was depicted in the original storyline.
