Red Robe Mandarin Duck and the Drama Queen Catching Monsters
As soon as everyone walked out of the cave at the source of Guixu, they heard a clear bell sound coming from the ancient tree beside the mountain path. The bell sound was not the low hum of Linxi’s copper bell, but a crisp sound with a bit of playfulness, mixed with the unique clash of Miao silver jewelry, which was particularly eye-catching in the morning breeze.
"Who's there?" Chen Mo immediately raised the bronze compass. Although the compass had not recovered its power, the needle still turned slightly, pointing in the direction of the ancient tree.
The branches at the treetops suddenly parted, and a figure in a scarlet robe gracefully leaped down. The robe was embroidered with paired mandarin ducks in gold thread, the stitching so detailed that even the patterns on the ducks' feathers were visible. Thin silver bell chains dangled from the hem and cuffs. As she landed, the chains swayed gently, making a jingling sound that clashed with the silver ornaments in her hair, adding a vibrant melody. Her black hair, long to her waist, was streaked with streaks of dark red at the ends, as if stained with wet blood. A silver hairpin, unique to the Miao region, was adorned in her hair, its tip engraved with a Gu insect motif. As she moved, the silver ornaments clashed loudly, drowning out the mountain wind.
"Don't be so nervous." The woman walked forward with a smile. Her voice was deliberately soft, as if she was imitating the charming girls in the Miao village. "My name is Hongyang, and I'm a demon hunter. I heard that there was a demon causing trouble in Qingwu Town, so I came here to help."
Su Xiao stared at the golden mandarin duck pattern on her red robe, feeling the golden thread shimmer strangely in the sunlight—not like ordinary silk, but rather carrying a faint scent of Gu. "How did you know we were here?" Su Xiao gripped the Chiyang Gu box tightly, and the Gu insect inside stirred slightly, evidently sensing the special aura of the other person.
Hong Yang blinked, then suddenly dropped her smile, replaced by a serious expression, as if imitating the Great Elder. "I've been observing outside Qingwu Town for three days. When I saw you enter the source of Guixu, I knew you were evil spirits. Just now on the mountain, I saw a little ghost in a white dress. She was carrying a lot of evil power, but unfortunately she ran too fast and I couldn't catch up." As she spoke, her demeanor suddenly changed. She cupped her hands to her mouth and made a gesture of shouting. Her voice became crisp and clear: "Hey! That little ghost! Stop hiding! I saw you!"
Everyone was stunned by her sudden change. Meng Meng couldn't help but ask, "You...why are you so different?"
"You don't understand this, do you?" Hong Yang smiled and spun around, the silver bells on her red robe jingling. "You have to use different attitudes to deal with different people! For example, if I had spoken to you in this lively manner just now, you would definitely think I was unreliable; if I used a serious attitude, you would think I was too fierce." She walked over to Zhao Yu and suddenly lowered her voice, imitating Xiao Wan's aggrieved tone from before: "Brother, does your arm still hurt? I have better herbs here, more effective than your friend's."
Zhao Yu frowned and subconsciously took a step back - the tone she imitated was too realistic, even the pauses when Xiaowan spoke were exactly the same, which reminded him of the experience of being deceived by Xiaowan before, and he felt a chill in his heart.
Lidya Su suddenly said: “You said you saw Xiaowan just now? Which direction did she run to?”
Hong Yang immediately dropped her imitation, putting on a serious expression as she pointed in the direction of Qingwu Town. "She ran towards the town. The evil energy she exudes is strange, as if it's a fusion of two people's residual souls. I tried to catch up, but was blocked by the evil fog she left behind. There were also many small evil spirits hidden in the fog, as if they were deliberately delaying her." As she spoke, she suddenly squatted down and drew a rune on the ground with her finger. Her movements were so skillful that it seemed like she had practiced them a thousand times. "I just picked this up in the fog." She raised her finger, and a little black powder was stained on her fingertips. "This is the remaining evil energy from Xiaowan. It contains the aura of Meng Yao's residual soul, and... the evil energy of the Bone Master."
Chen Mo immediately leaned over and took a closer look at the black powder. "Yes, it's the same evil force we encountered at the source of Guixu! Xiaowan must be planning to return to Qingwu Town to wreak havoc!"
Hong Yang stood up and suddenly became anxious, as if imitating Lin Xi's anxiety before: "Then we have to hurry back to the town! If she summons more evil spirits, the people in Qingwu Town will be in danger!" As she said, she took the lead and ran towards Qingwu Town, the corners of her red robe fluttering in the wind, and the sound of silver bells resounded through the mountains.
Su Xiao watched her from behind, feeling something was amiss. Hongyang's imitation, though convincing, was overly contrived, as if she were deliberately displaying her "abilities." Furthermore, the Gu Qi emanating from her body was neither a common Miao insect nor a Black Demon's aura, but rather a strange blend of both. However, the situation was urgent, and Xiaowan might have already returned to Qingwu Town. They could only trust Hongyang for now and return to the town to investigate.
"Let's go, let's follow her." Su Xiao said to everyone, "Everyone be careful and pay attention to her every move."
Everyone followed Hongyang, running towards Qingwu Town. Hongyang ran in front, looking back from time to time. Sometimes she would imitate Meng Meng's gentle voice, saying, "Everyone, run slowly. Don't fall." Then she would mimic Chen Mo's serious tone, saying, "There's a fork in the road ahead. Take the left. There's a trap on the right." Her imitation was so lifelike, even her expressions and movements were identical. But the more she did so, the more suspicious Su Xiao became. How could a normal monster hunter be so obsessed with imitating others? Was she really trying to help exorcise the evil spirits, or was she scheming something else?
As they approached Qingwu Town, Hongyang suddenly stopped, her expression instantly cold, no longer mimicking anyone. "At the town entrance ahead, there's a demonic formation left by Xiaowan." She pointed at the stone statue at the entrance. Black mist was pouring from its eye sockets, and the mist gathered on the ground to form a strange symbol. "This formation is created by the remnant soul of a demonic spirit. To break it, one person needs to divert the demonic energy from the center of the formation, and the others can take advantage of the opportunity to rush in."
She looked at Su Xiao with a scrutinizing look in her eyes. "The Red Sun Gu in your hand can restrain the evil force, making it the most suitable for diverting the center of the formation. However, the person diverting the formation will be entangled by the evil force and may be in danger of death. Are you willing to go?"
Lidya Su was about to agree when Chen Mo suddenly stopped her: "No! It's too dangerous! Let's think of another way!"
Hong Yang suddenly put on a worried expression and imitated Meng Meng's tone: "But if we delay any longer, the people in the town will be in danger..." Before she finished her words, a shrill scream suddenly came from the entrance of the town, and the figures of several villagers vaguely appeared in the fog. Their bodies were entangled in black evil power, as if controlled by invisible hands, and pounced towards the crowd.
"There's no time to hesitate!" Hong Yang put away her imitation gesture and said in a serious tone, "Su Xiao, you go to lead the formation; Chen Mo and I will be responsible for protecting the others; Zhao Yu and Lin Xi follow me, and once the center of the formation is loose, rush in immediately; Meng Meng, you use the cloth with anti-Gu patterns to protect the villagers." Her arrangements were clear and organized, as if she had thought of it long ago.
Su Xiao glanced at the villagers and, without hesitation, said, "Okay, I'll go and activate the formation." She opened the Red Sun Gu box, and a red light emanated. She walked towards the stone statue at the town entrance. Hong Yang watched her from behind, a subtle smile playing on his lips. The golden mandarin duck on his red robe shone eerily in the sunlight, as if waiting for something.
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