Chapter 73: A Village Filled with Eerie Secrets

"We should be here, right?" Gu Ye pointed heavily at a spot on the map, his brows furrowed tightly.

He and Willow Crab were currently looking embarrassed, at a loss before the dense, intricate patterns on the map, completely unable to discern their current location.

"Why don't we fly up and take a look?" Willow Crab shook the antennae on its head, tentatively suggesting, its tone carrying a hint of uncertainty.

Gu Ye had a unique fear of this Card Domain, "Are you sure?"

If they accidentally triggered some Guai Monster's rule and got wiped out, it would be a truly unjust death.

"Can't you just call out Lin Daiyu? She isn't afraid of Guai Monsters."

"Right." Gu Ye slapped his forehead, instantly enlightened. He quickly moved his thoughts and summoned Lin Daiyu.

"My Lord!" It was only after Gu Ye corrected her repeatedly that she changed it; otherwise, she kept calling Gu Ye 'Husband', which Gu Ye found very awkward, even though it seemed perfectly normal to Lin Daiyu.

"Fly up into the sky and observe the surrounding environment carefully."

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu covered her mouth and smiled. She stomped her feet hard against the ground, and her figure soared into the air like a startled swan. As her robes fluttered, her gaze quickly swept over the surrounding mountains and terrain. Within moments, she landed lightly, standing steadily before Gu Ye.

"My Lord, directly opposite us are two mountain peaks. One is a large mountain shaped like an inverted cauldron, and the other is a smaller peak that is entirely fiery red and still emitting black smoke." Lin Daiyu spoke at a steady pace, clearly recounting what she had observed.

Gu Ye compared it to the map and finally managed to locate their position.

"We are in a place called Tree Heart Forest. The mountain peak in front that looks like a volcano should be Jinyu Demon Peak."

Demon??

Gu Ye turned his head to look at Willow Crab on his shoulder, "Do you know anything about Jinyu Demon Peak?"

According to the route, they had to pass through Jinyu Demon Peak to continue forward; there was no other path to choose.

Willow Crab pondered for a moment and said, "It should be the place where Ghost Sword Heavenly Venerate imprisons the Demon race."

"Aren't you the Ghost Realm? Where do Demons come from?"

Upon hearing this, Willow Crab rolled its eyes at him, "Invaders, of course. The Ghost Realm and the Demon Realm are very close, and sometimes Demon Realm soldiers come to the Ghost Realm."

"As long as these Demons don't provoke them, many big shots in the Ghost Realm don't really care. I heard that the reason Ghost Sword Heavenly Venerate captures these Demons is to conduct some kind of experiment. The Ghost News didn't mention specifically what's inside."

Gu Ye rubbed his temples, "We can only proceed with caution. Guai Monsters are already hard enough to deal with, and now there's a Demon. It seems that before the ten major factions even begin to meet, more than half of the people might already be dead."

Gu Ye lifted his feet and walked towards Jinyu Demon Peak. Along the way in Tree Heart Forest, they still encountered some Guai Monsters, but under the attacks of Lin Daiyu and the evil willow, they were easily wiped out.

Gu Ye walked and stopped along the way, and thanks to Willow Crab's treasure-hunting trait, he also collected several high-quality cards.

"Crack—snap—!"

A harsh, snapping sound suddenly rang out. A tree wall, woven from countless thick vines, was violently pierced by a massive, pitch-black tree stump covered in patterns.

The tree stump followed through with a fierce twist and push. With a loud "crash," the tough vines were torn apart. A huge gap capable of accommodating two people walking side-by-side was smashed into the center of the tree wall. The severed vines were still slightly wriggling, emitting a faint, fishy stench.

Lin Daiyu walked in front, followed by Gu Ye wearing the tuonaduo armor.

Gu Ye exhaled a breath of turbid air and looked up at the towering mountain ahead, "Finally out."

He scanned the ground; it was truly a clear distinction. On the side closer to Jinyu Demon Peak, the soil appeared a dull, dark yellow, soft and dry underfoot. The air was filled with a pungent smell of burning and sulfur, making one unable to help but frown. On the Tree Heart Forest side, however, it remained lush and green, with fresh grass and wildflowers dotted throughout. As a breeze blew past, the grass leaves swayed gently, creating ripples, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of plants, forming a stark contrast with the desolation on the other side.

Gu Ye smiled faintly, suppressed the surprise in his heart, and continued walking. After rushing for five hours, the sky gradually darkened, and the night curtain, like a huge black cloth, slowly shrouded the entire mountain.

When they reached the mountainside of Jinyu Demon Peak, an ancient and eerie village appeared before Gu Ye without any warning.

This was the only road leading to the summit, and this village was situated right in the middle of the road, like a barrier that couldn't be bypassed.

"Kid, be careful. In this village... the Ghost Qi is extremely heavy, the number of Guai Monsters is not small, and their strength is not weak."

Willow Crab lay on Gu Ye's shoulder, all its antennae tensed up. It warned him with a solemn expression, its tone carrying a hint of imperceptible wariness.

Gu Ye said calmly, "Many! We still have to go in."

Before he finished speaking, Gu Ye walked towards the village. When he reached the village entrance, a wooden sign stood by the road, with a sentence written on it, as if it were a warning to those entering.

"This village loves peace; fighting is prohibited."

Gu Ye's eyes narrowed slightly, and he couldn't help but think, "Rules, huh!"

He continued moving forward and soon entered the center of the village, which was the market that every village uniquely possessed.

Various cries of hawkers were endless. The things the merchants... the Guai Monster peddlers were selling opened Gu Ye's eyes. There were eyeballs, and various organs. One intestine even had some yellowish stuff hanging on it, hmm... the dog would love to eat that.

What Gu Ye found most impressive was that one Guai Monster peddler's stall had a long, thin, indescribable object.

Gu Ye furrowed his brows, feeling that some Guai Monster peddlers seemed to have set their sights on him, their eyes filled with greed.

While walking through this market, Gu Ye also encountered many Federal Examinees and Evil God Cult members who had come to participate in this death feast.

Gu Ye didn't care much about them; after all, with his current strength, bullying them was as easy as bullying vegetables.

Gu Ye was only interested in the many Guai Monsters here. These Guai Monsters were not low in strength. Perhaps due to the influence of the village rules, the Guai Monsters could not attack Gu Ye and his group.

The strength of some Guai Monsters might already be at Silver Rank. Gu Ye even saw an old acquaintance, the [Gluttonous Ghoul].

This [Gluttonous Ghoul] was not as weak as the one he had killed before; it had clearly evolved into its complete form.

Its body was covered in knotted, sturdy muscles, its skin was dark cyan, covered in hideous patterns. Its wide mouth almost stretched to its ears, and thick drool hung from the corners of its mouth. It was chewing non-stop on a piece of unknown dark red organ, making a harsh "creak-creak" sound, its eyes filled with violence and greed.

"Slap—!"

A fair, slender hand suddenly patted Gu Ye on the shoulder. Gu Ye's whole body stiffened, and he subconsciously turned around, only to see that pretty smiling face in an instant.

"You've arrived too, how slow!" Luo Yuerou held a charming smile at the corners of her mouth, her eyebrows curved, her tone carrying a hint of coquettishness. Yet, her eyes inadvertently swept over the tuonaduo armor on Gu Ye's body, flashing with a hint of admiration.

Gu Ye was slightly stunned; he didn't expect to meet this woman here. She was no longer wearing the tight combat suit from when Gu Ye first met her, but a relatively loose outfit, yet it still couldn't hide her graceful curves.

"What's the situation here?" Gu Ye didn't stand on ceremony with Luo Yuerou, directly asking for information about the village.

Upon hearing this, Luo Yuerou smiled coquettishly and was not annoyed. She lifted her feet and walked forward.

Seeing this, Gu Ye quickly followed. The two walked side-by-side on the street. Those who knew Luo Yuerou glanced at Gu Ye with slight surprise, but their eyes then turned playful.