181: Zuo Qiuhui

Xu Sanyan smiled, "Alright, with the Huai Lake Seven Heroes accompanying us, I imagine we'll be much safer."

Zuoqiu Hui chuckled softly, then lowered her gaze, subtly sweeping a glance at Zuoqiu Shen. Seeing him standing unguarded in front of Xu Sanyan, a strange feeling suddenly arose in her heart.

Even if Zuoqiu Shen was familiar with this Qi Dao Sect Disciple, he wouldn't be completely unguarded in this Secret Realm. She keenly sensed that something was off between the two of them.

Zuoqiu Xin, oblivious to this, smiled and said, "I have a very good relationship with Fairy Luo Qingwei of your sect, and your sect and my Huai Lake Zuoqiu Clan are allies. Now that we are in this Secret Realm, we should naturally help each other."

Xu Sanyan nodded in strong agreement, "Fairy is right, it should be so."

"Let's talk as we walk, please." Zuoqiu Hui pulled Zuoqiu Xin, secretly pinching her arm.

Zuoqiu Xin's expression remained unchanged, but a sense of alertness rose in her heart. Although she wasn't as smart as her older sister, she wasn't a fool. Since her third sister told her to be careful, she must have discovered something.

Xu Sanyan didn't notice the subtle movements between the two women. The four walked side by side.

But strangely, the two women were also very wary of Zuoqiu Shen, who was their own kin, constantly maintaining a safe distance from them.

Xu Sanyan secretly shook his head. No one who could cultivate to this level was a fool; a tiny flaw was enough to make them vigilant.

"Brother Shen, did you know Brother Xu before?" Zuoqiu Hui was extremely intelligent. She didn't ask Xu Sanyan, but Zuoqiu Shen.

Because she had known Zuoqiu Shen for a long time, she could detect even the slightest abnormality.

Zuoqiu Shen's eyes flickered upwards, subtly glancing at Xu Sanyan. After a moment of silence, he shook his head, "No, I don't."

Zuoqiu Hui was constantly observing Zuoqiu Shen's every move. Seeing this, an alarm immediately blared in her heart.

In just a short moment, she noticed two strange points.

First, since the two hadn't known each other before, why did Zuoqiu Shen walk ahead unguarded when they first met? Wasn't he afraid that this person would launch a sneak attack?

Second, when she asked that question just now, Zuoqiu Shen paused slightly, and his gaze towards that person held a questioning look. One should know that they were family, naturally close. Why would Zuoqiu Shen look at an outsider?

Unless... Zuoqiu Shen was being controlled!

Could this person have poisoned Zuoqiu Shen?

Or some other method?

Zuoqiu Hui lowered her head slightly, a sharp glint flickering in her eyes.

The four walked towards the south of the city, chatting as they went. Time flowed, and the sun in the sky set in the west, casting a reddish-yellow glow over the earth.

This Secret Realm seemed no different from the outside world; the moon rose and set the same, and the time difference was negligible.

Xu Sanyan stopped. Zuoqiu Hui placed a hand behind her back, making a "be careful" gesture to Zuoqiu Xin, while asking, "Brother Xu, have you discovered something?"

Xu Sanyan's eyes held an inexplicable meaning, and a smile played on his lips, "Do the two Fairies seem to be very wary of me?"

Zuoqiu Hui's heart tensed. Her beautiful face paused slightly, then returned to normal, "Brother Xu is overthinking. I'm just being wary of the surroundings."

Xu Sanyan didn't know if he believed her, but he nodded lightly, "That's good then. I've received news that something unusual might happen in this Secret Realm after dark. It's best if we find a place to observe."

"Oh? Where did Brother Xu get this news?" Zuoqiu Hui wanted to inquire for more information.

Xu Sanyan raised the mother-child stone in his hand, "Senior Brother Luo informed me."

Zuoqiu Hui pondered for a moment, then nodded, "Since that's the case, that's good."

Tonight was the first night entering the Secret Realm; no one knew what would happen. It was fine to wait a night to be safe.

While Zuoqiu Hui was thinking, she used the child stone to transmit the message to her elder sister, who would then inform everyone.

The four casually found a house. The house door was half-open; the huge wooden door was taller than a mortal city gate, making them appear incredibly small.

The interior of the house was no different from an ordinary home: wooden tables and chairs, dry firewood piled next to the stove, a simple cupboard standing next to the firewood with bowls and chopsticks on it, and a bed with bedding piled in the innermost room.

It was just like an ordinary commoner's home, but the difference was that these things were all extremely large; a single bowl could almost hold a person.

As she looked around, she felt a warmth in her hand. Her gaze swept over the mother stone, and a line of text appeared on it:

"Old man Ren Xu, Saint, stay away from the well in the city. There's something in the well!"

Ren Xu was Elder Ren.

Xu Sanyan's brows furrowed. Suddenly remembering something, he abruptly looked up, his eyes gazing distantly at the huge stone-lined well in the courtyard, and a sense of danger immediately arose in his heart.

Suddenly, the last trace of sunlight in the sky completely vanished. A gust of wind swept through, bringing with it a chill that made one's hair stand on end.

"Yin Wind..."

Zuoqiu Xin looked out the door and muttered softly, her expression filled with solemnity.

Xu Sanyan's eyes flickered. The so-called Yin Wind was Yin Qi that condensed and lingered, forming Yin Wind as it drifted with the wind. It usually appeared in mass graves, corpse pits, and other such places.

But why would Yin Wind appear here?

As night falls and the wind rises, ten thousand demons return to life...

This phrase... was it about to come true?

The four each found a place to hide. Xu Sanyan hid behind a table leg, peeking out slightly, just enough to see the well outside through the door crack.

It was too late to find another hiding spot now, so he could only temporarily hide here. Xu Sanyan held the mother stone and sent the message "stay away from the well" to everyone.

"Squeak..."

"Ah..."

"Caw~ Caw caw~"

Various strange sounds emanated from the well, sending shivers down one's spine, as if countless demons and monsters were hidden below.

Whoosh—

In the darkness, a huge, pitch-black figure shot out from the well, disappearing into the sky in a blink of an eye.

In a daze, Xu Sanyan only caught a glimpse of a faint shadow, somewhat similar to a hawk, but completely featherless, with a pair of bald, fleshy wings that made one's heart crawl.

Zuoqiu Xin, hiding in the corner, could also see it clearly, and her heart churned. She hated such disgusting-looking things the most.

The four dared not make a sound, even their breathing was extremely quiet.

Because the sounds from the well were still there, not only did they not diminish, but they became even more dense, like the sounds of countless snakes and insects crawling, intertwining and rubbing against each other, making one's heart pound.

"Hiss hiss hiss~"

A shadow crawled out of the well. Xu Sanyan instantly retracted his gaze. In that brief moment, he seemed to have made eye contact with that monster!

It was a scaleless, long worm, its body covered in rotten flesh-flowers, its slender tongue hanging out of its lips but not flickering, its eyes extremely dull and empty.

As if... it was a dead thing!

Xu Sanyan narrowed his eyes slightly, the sense of unease in his heart growing stronger. Could it be a corpse demon?

"Rustle~"

"Bang!"

The sound of the huge wooden door being knocked open was extremely clear in the silent night. Zuoqiu Shen trembled all over. He suddenly regretted coming to this Hundred Saints Secret Realm.

Although there were countless treasures in the Secret Realm, and even rewards of Cultivation Techniques and spell arts, one had to be alive to claim them.