As the moonlight climbed above the willow branches, a faint sound of suona horns suddenly rang out in the once quiet mountain village.

When Zhang Xu opened her eyes, she found that Rong Yue, who should have been lying next to her, was nowhere to be seen, nor was Yan Chenghuan, who should have been resting in another room. The whole room was quiet, as if she had fallen into a silent world. However, in such a quiet room, the occasional sound of suona horns coming from outside seemed particularly eerie.

It hasn't rained in Chen for months. Even though the great demon in the capital has been brought to justice, the rest of Chen still can't get rain. The land is parched, and the cracks are as wide as a finger. The rampant grave-digging movement in various places has plunged the whole country into turmoil. It seems that someone is urgently needed to take charge of the situation.

The pale, desolate earth, shrouded in moonlight, appeared bleak and sorrowful. The funeral procession consisted of only a handful of people, the suppressed strains of the suona horns fading only softly at crucial moments. Leading the procession was a child carrying a memorial tablet—it was Xiao Hu, who had clashed with them during the day. Behind Xiao Hu, two burly men carried a flimsy coffin, and behind the coffin, two women dressed in mourning clothes laboriously waved prayer flags.

Under such a desolate moonlight, the funeral procession looked eerie and sinister. Zhang Xu covered her mouth, not daring to speak, but Xiao Hu, who was at the head of the procession, looked in her direction at this moment, his pupils in the dark exuding a chilling and sinister aura.

At that moment, a strong force pulled Zhang Xu behind her, and in the instant her scream came, a pair of large hands suppressed all her sounds.

"Don't make a sound."

Hearing that it was Yan Chenghuan's voice, Zhang Xu felt relieved.

"Where is Rong Yue?"

"When I woke up, I couldn't find her, and our luggage was gone too."

Zhang Xu watched the funeral procession walk further and further away.

"There's something wrong with this place. We need to find Rong Yue and get out of here quickly."

"Let's follow them and see what they're up to."

The two followed stealthily behind the funeral procession, listening to the occasional mournful sound of suona horns, until the moon and stars were sparse and the procession entered a forest. The moonlight was blocked by tall trees, and the occasional chirping of birds echoed from within the woods. If it weren't for the strange procession ahead, Zhang Xu would have thought the scene before her was like a secret rendezvous between the two.

Looking back at Yan Chenghuan's dark face, Zhang Xu was startled by her own description and couldn't help but shiver.

Yan Chenghuan frowned when he noticed her strange gaze: "What are you looking at?"

Zhang Xu shook her head, and the funeral procession suddenly turned around in unison, startling Zhang Xu so much that she immediately backed away.

As Yan Chenghuan was focused on what was in front of him, a strange fragrance suddenly wafted into his nostrils. It was neither a strong, overpowering floral scent nor a bright, artificial fragrance. Instead, it was a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance, which stirred his heart.

When he came to his senses, the group that had just been in sight suddenly vanished into thin air.

"Yan Chenghuan, have you noticed anything wrong?"

The wind whistled around them, the birdsong faded away, and a heavy aura seemed to emanate from behind them. Tiny specks of green light flickered in the forest, one, two, then the entire expanse was bathed in a vibrant, verdant glow.

:"run!"

Realizing what it was, Yan Chenghuan grabbed Zhang Xu and ran outside quickly.

Upon seeing the two's movements, the cluster of lights behind them also began to move, chasing after them with a "whoosh whoosh" sound.

"How come there are wolves? When did these things arrive?"

Yan Chenghuan pulled Zhang Xu along and ran forward quickly, ignoring the thorns that were flying high and scratching his face. The blood that flowed down his cheeks only made the wolf pack behind him, who were sniffing the scent, even more excited.