The fox demon disturbance in the village seemed to have subsided.
But the clues about the Mysterious Female Furnace were like a snapped string, no longer making a sound.
Originally, I planned to ask Xiaolian about the connection between this place and Sanjiapo after dawn.
But this upheaval ended too abruptly—
Like a whirlpool in a deep pool suddenly still, leaving not even a ripple, it makes one wonder if there were any deliberate deletions.
As a member of the fox clan, Xiao Lian's abilities are beyond doubt.
But upon closer examination, numerous doubts lingered in my mind like spider webs.
She once huddled in a corner of the tunnel, her voice trembling as she said that she was the lowest-ranking "soul guide".
Since being demoted, even the fox clan servants have been able to bully her at will.
She still remembered that night when they first met. The sound of bells coming from afar made her tremble all over, and she could only barely keep her balance by digging her nails deep into her palms.
But just one night later, when the Black Feather Fox Demon led his forces to besiege them...
This low-level fox demon, who claimed that "even foxfire could not be condensed," suddenly unleashed astonishing power as if reborn from the ashes.
She can not only accurately see through the flaws of the fake nine-tailed fox, but also fight against the demons with the secret techniques of the pure-blooded fox clan.
Those intricate talismans, and the snow-white fox tail that can absorb the blood of living souls.
And how familiar he is with the weaknesses of the Thousand Soul Cauldron? In what way does he seem like a low-level demon that has been suppressed for a long time and doesn’t even dare to resist?
This illogical transformation is even more chilling than the illusions of the fox clan.
Just like how I knew Wu Zhiguo had set up numerous traps in Sanjiapo, but hesitated to take revenge because I lacked the strength—
The path of cultivation is like rowing against the current; there is no way to make rapid progress overnight.
unless……
She had been secretly accumulating power for a long time; her feigned weakness and fear were nothing more than a carefully crafted deception.
What's even stranger is that Xiao Lian's destruction of the Thousand Soul Cauldron went too smoothly, as if everything was within her calculations.
She pinpointed the crack in the cauldron and knew the weakness of the black-feathered fox demon's tailbone.
They even knew the location of the true nine-tailed fox's inner core.
This was no temporary rebellion; it was clearly a long-planned revenge.
But why does she have to play the victim in front of me?
Was this carefully planned "chance encounter" a mere coincidence, or was there an ulterior motive?
It's so fast, incredibly fast.
It was surprisingly fast.
Everything ended too hastily, as if the plot had been abruptly severed by a sharp blade.
This thrilling showdown was completely unexpected, like a horror movie that was suddenly fast-forwarded.
The suspense that should have built up layer by layer, the protagonist's growth through hardships, and the villain's gradually exposed conspiracy all vanished without a trace.
It's like a movie that should have been a hundred minutes long, but was crudely edited into fragmented pieces.
Those crucial foreshadowing elements, subtle plot twists, and details that should have allowed the story to progress logically were all completely cut out.
There was no gradual awakening process, no thrilling life-or-death trials, and no accumulation of power for future breakthroughs.
Xiao Lian transformed from weak to strong so abruptly that it sent chills down one's spine.
It's as if an unseen hand is deliberately manipulating everything behind the scenes.
Yes, it's as if there's a pair of hands deliberately manipulating things.
This is completely illogical, and the more I think about it, the more something seems wrong.
Could it be because of me?
The other party doesn't want me to investigate further in the direction of the Mysterious Female Furnace at all?
I really can't think of any other reason besides this one.
It's better not to think about it, because once you start thinking about it, a chill creeps up your spine to the back of your neck.
I suddenly realized that this turn of events was like a meticulously calculated game of chess.
Xiao Lian's counterattack and the abrupt end of the fox demon chaos—all the clues broke at the most crucial point.
It's as if someone is manipulating every node with invisible threads, tightly wrapping the truth in a fog.
Looking back now, the monster was defeated too easily, as if it had deliberately exposed its weaknesses to be slaughtered.
And Xiaolian, in her final moments, cast a glance my way—
The urgent shout of "Look at the cauldron's ears!" was laced with a scrutinizing calmness in his eyes, as if he were observing my reaction.
My back was soaked with cold sweat, and I suddenly grasped the most terrifying possibility.
Could all the conflicts and turning points be meant to lead me in the wrong direction?
The clues about the Mysterious Female Furnace were cut off so decisively, could it be because someone didn't want me to continue the investigation?
After all, every step I took since entering the village felt like it had been predicted.
Could those dangers and turning points be part of a carefully crafted script?
The sound of whistling wind reached my ears, and in a daze, it transformed into the wailing from within the Thousand Soul Cauldron.
This feeling of powerlessness is even more suffocating than facing a fox demon.
The most terrifying thing is not the strength of the enemy, but that you have no way of knowing what the enemy looks like or what their purpose is.
They can only passively remain trapped in the cage woven by this conspiracy.
The Mysterious Female Furnace, Sanjiapo holds too many secrets.
The more the other party tries to stop me, the more I want to tear through this fog, even if there is a deeper trap ahead.
Even if the dark hand that controls everything is waiting to devour me into this meticulously designed scheme.
I took a deep breath to calm my agitated emotions.
Then he scratched his head in distress.
All the leads have gone cold, where do I even begin to investigate?
What is the origin of the village?
Perhaps it's not impossible.
With that in mind, I decided not to open for business.
After all, this shop doesn't make money. The main thing is that Yingniang gave me a place to stay before she died.
Before closing the shop, I kowtowed three times to the portrait of the founder.
The black coffin deep inside the warehouse still sits quietly.
I won't go into the warehouse unless absolutely necessary.
Keep as far away as possible from the coffin and the woman lying inside.
Who knows what will happen to her after she gets out?
...
Under the old locust tree at the alley entrance, I took out the reducing agent that Liu Sandao had taught me to prepare.
The moment the ointment was applied to my face, I felt a burning sensation on my skin, as if countless ants were gnawing at my flesh.
The wrinkled face in the bronze mirror gradually relaxed, and the spiderweb-like lines at the corners of the eyes began to fade.
His hair, which was as gray as withered grass, was dyed black again.
This method can't last long; each use feels like overdrawing one's life force.
Only by restoring his true self can he better navigate among this diverse group of people.
Straighten your hunched back and walk through three streets and alleys.
When I was with Luo Tianhe, I knew quite a few people from both the legitimate and criminal worlds.
Thinking of Luo Tianhe, I sighed softly.
I wonder how that guy is doing.
We can't get in touch with them at all.
Apart from that one time when I thought I saw him on a street corner, I haven't seen him since.
I have no idea whether he's dead or alive.
I shook my head, trying to clear my mind of these thoughts, and headed towards the mahjong parlor I remembered.
The distinctive noise of a mahjong parlor, mixed with the smell of cheap tobacco, hit you in the face.
The neon sign for "Sihai Chess and Cards" was missing a corner, flickering in the twilight.
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