General Zhou knew Zhou Yuanyuan was a tight-lipped person, and wouldn't let anything he'd said to her slip outside. Otherwise, General Zhou wouldn't have dared to rashly tell Zhou Yuanyuan about the small village. If such a bizarre and unexplained incident were to become public knowledge, who knows what kind of uproar it would cause.
General Zhou and Zhou Yuanyuan discussed this incident. On the one hand, he felt a bit depressed by the sudden loss of so many lives. On the other hand, General Zhou had been saved by Zhou Yuanyuan from poisoning, and General Zhou knew that Zhou Yuanyuan was not an ordinary girl. Although Zhao Qingshan hadn't explicitly stated Zhou Yuanyuan's identity as a cultivator, he had vaguely mentioned that she was a disciple of a "master." Recalling Zhou Xi's adventure, General Zhou naturally assumed that Zhou Yuanyuan had joined some secluded sect.
General Zhou himself didn't believe in gods or Buddhas, but he understood that some things didn't disappear just because you didn't believe in them. Remembering that Zhou Yuanyuan was a disciple of a high-ranking expert, and perhaps her knowledge was broader than that of an average person, he asked for her opinion, hoping to save the situation.
Unexpectedly, Zhou Yuanyuan hadn't witnessed the situation in the small mountain village herself, but her description was spot on. Those who died in the village, from newborn babies to eighty-year-old men, all had expressions of joy on their faces after death, as if they had suddenly died in a state of great joy.
No matter who you are, it's impossible to be happy when facing death, right? Is there some reason for this? The more General Zhou learned about the small mountain village, the more mysteries he felt.
After hearing General Zhou's description, Zhou Yuanyuan fell into deep thought again. At least in General Zhou's eyes, Zhou Yuanyuan was lost in thought. In reality, Zhou Yuanyuan was talking to Xiaoyu in her sea of consciousness: "Xiaoyu, dying in pleasure? Why does this sound even stranger?"
As far as Zhou Yuanyuan knew, the moment of death of those whose souls were captured by the spirit-calling banner was painful, so how could they possibly have a face full of joy? Therefore, Zhou Yuanyuan and Xiaoyu's hypothesis that the spirit-calling banner captured souls was not valid. So, how did these people die? Could it be...
Before Zhou Yuanyuan could express her suspicions, Xiaoyu exclaimed, "Could it be that she's been bewitched?"
Those who have been charmed only have the most beautiful scenes they have imagined in their minds. Those who have died under the charm can also be explained by having a happy look on their faces.
However, this enchantment technique is the innate magical power of the Qingqiu Fox Clan. Hu Sanniang, who Zhou Yuanyuan and Xiaoyu are familiar with, is from the Qingqiu Fox Clan.
Could it be that Hu Sanniang was responsible for so many lives? Zhou Yuanyuan was horrified when she thought of this possibility.
At this critical moment, Hu Sanniang was not in Kyoto. Even if Zhou Yuanyuan wanted to find her to ask, she would not be able to find her. Not to mention that Hu Sanniang, who was supposed to return to Kyoto, suddenly lost contact three days ago, which made Zhou Yuanyuan feel that Hu Sanniang was a bit suspicious.
Perhaps sensing Zhou Yuanyuan's uneasiness, Xiaoyu thought for a moment and then said, "Master, don't worry, the little fox is not that kind of person. Back then, when she was seriously injured and dying, she didn't think of devouring the souls of living people to heal her wounds. There's no reason for her to do such a foolish thing now that her injuries are almost healed..."
Xiaoyu's words startled Zhou Yuanyuan. That's right! Hu Sanniang endured the pain of her inner elixir shattering back then rather than commit such a grievous and sinister act. There's no reason why she's only now revealing her ferocious side. Dozens of lives were enough for Hu Sanniang to be reduced to ash by the calamity.
Zhou Yuanyuan felt a little more at ease at this thought. As Hu Sanniang's mistress, if Hu Sanniang truly did something as detrimental to the harmony of nature as devouring living souls, Zhou Yuanyuan would also be implicated. Not to mention the impact on her state of mind, even the heavenly tribulation of advancement might not be something she could withstand.
"Grandpa, I want to go to that small mountain village and take a look. Is there anything you can do?" Zhou Yuanyuan realized that the incident might be related to Hu Sanniang's enchantment, and she felt anxious. She wanted to rush to the scene immediately to see if there was any trace of Hu Sanniang. As Hu Sanniang's master, if the over 50 deaths in the small mountain village were indeed caused by Hu Sanniang, Zhou Yuanyuan would be able to sense Hu Sanniang's presence at the scene. As long as the suspicion of Hu Sanniang was not cleared, Zhou Yuanyuan felt like a huge stone was weighing on her heart, and she was anxious.
"Yuanyuan, it's very dangerous out there. As a girl, you shouldn't get involved in these things." General Zhou glanced at Zhou Yuanyuan's small frame, shook his head, and said. General Zhou didn't know Zhou Yuanyuan's strength. In his opinion, although Zhou Yuanyuan was a "disciple of a master," even if she had been learning skills since birth, she had only been learning for thirteen years. Zhou Xi had studied for decades, but her fighting skills were not as strong as General Zhou's guard captain Gao Tiezhu. Zhou Yuanyuan was a little girl. She might have some talent in medicine, but in terms of fighting skills, she was a skinny girl.
"Grandpa Zeng, I said I can help Grandpa Xi, do you believe it?" Zhou Yuanyuan knew that if she didn't show some real ability, General Zhou would not agree to let her get involved in these matters.
Zhou Yuanyuan hesitated for two seconds before making up her mind. This situation was too bizarre. Zhou Xi might not be able to find out anything if he went there, and there might even be danger. Zhou Yuanyuan was different. She had been practicing for so long and just needed to gain some experience. Moreover, since Hu Sanniang was involved in this matter, she, as the master, couldn't just stand by and watch, right?
Thinking of this, Zhou Yuanyuan smiled and stretched out a hand. She rubbed the tips of her index and middle fingers together, and a dark red flame appeared on her fingers. Before General Zhou could ask any questions, Zhou Yuanyuan flicked her finger, and the flame landed on the coffee table in front of her.
The solid wood coffee table was charred in the flames at a speed visible to the naked eye, and then turned into a small wisp of black dust. The most amazing thing was that after the coffee table burned into black ash, the flames gradually died out. Apart from the coffee table, the surrounding sofas and stools were not affected at all.
"Yuanyuan, what kind of special ability is this? It's amazing." General Zhou rubbed his hands excitedly, so happy that he didn't know what to say.
The special operations team also had a fire-powered user. General Zhou had seen him create a flame from his fingertips to light a cigarette. However, that person wasn't as easy to create as Zhou Yuanyuan; he needed to close his eyes and meditate for half a minute before he could do so. Furthermore, that person's flame wasn't very hot; at most, it could only light a cigarette or burn firewood. Unlike Zhou Yuanyuan, when the flame appeared, General Zhou felt his body temperature suddenly rise by more than ten degrees.
It was the first time that General Zhou saw Zhou Yuanyuan display her strength. Zhou Yuanyuan's move shocked the battle-hardened General Zhou.
Fifteen minutes later, Zhou Yuanyuan appeared in Zhou Xi's team.
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