Hehehe——

The sound of crows filled the entire village.

With the dawn's glow pouring down from the distant hilltop, most of the villagers got up to start farming.

After all, dealing with those Fierce Ghost Minions these past days had been rather oppressive, and only the bright sun could barely bring a hint of warmth.

"Ah! Dead… there's a dead body!"

A sudden, piercing scream shattered the village's peace, and everyone began searching for the source of the sound, eventually gathering outside the large thatched house.

Those in the back pushed forward to peek inside, while those in front covered their mouths and ran out, their faces full of fear.

"Ugh… cough, cough, cough!"

"How could this happen… why does it have to be them…"

Even though they had been influenced by Yao Qingxue's peculiar Awakened Ability, filled with the virtues of "truth, goodness, and beauty," it didn't mean they could completely ignore the fear and anxiety in their hearts.

Those who saw the bodies either slumped against the wall, sitting in disbelief, or ran to the roadside to retch.

After all, the horrific state of the bodies was somewhat hard to accept.

Yao Qingxue, who rushed over from afar, clutched her Magic Staff tightly, veins bulging on her hand as she gritted her teeth.

She had anticipated casualties when Wu Liang mentioned that Fierce Ghosts had entered the village.

But the recent peaceful days had relaxed her somewhat, and she didn't expect such a severe blow today!

"Wu Liang, what… caused this?" she asked in as calm a manner as possible, turning to Wu Liang, who had come alongside her.

In the face of his mother's question, Wu Liang responded confidently without a hint of panic:

"These were probably villagers who went out at night and returned in a state of madness, right? I'm guessing the Fierce Ghosts outside used the recent chaos to sneak in."

"There are two ways to deal with this now—either stay constantly vigilant for any sudden events, or take the initiative to head out and exorcise the Fierce Ghosts."

To be honest, Wu Liang was somewhat grateful for his mother's peculiar glowing ability at this moment.

It was precisely because everyone was filled with truth, goodness, and beauty deep down that they did not doubt the words of someone who had become one of their own.

Additionally, the methods Wu Liang suggested for dealing with the Fierce Ghost Minions over the past two days had been successfully implemented by the villagers.

They were merely virtuous, not fools, and should be able to weigh the pros and cons of these two choices, right?

"The past two days have already made everyone anxious; if we have to stay vigilant all the time… we might not be able to hold on."

"Yeah, we haven't done any farming these couple of days. If this continues, we might run out of food soon."

"Then we should go out, but besides Wu Liang, who else can fight the Fierce Ghosts?"

"..."

The surrounding villagers discussed fervently Wu Liang's suggestions.

But without exception, they all leaned towards taking the initiative, and most people vaguely placed the task of leaving the village on Wu Liang's shoulders.

Of course, this was precisely the outcome Wu Liang desired.

He didn't want to waste time in the village and needed a reasonable excuse for everyone to agree to him leaving the village.

Only this way could he prevent Yao Qingxue from becoming suspicious, as she had consistently emphasized the dangers outside the village before.

Just as Wu Liang thought the topic would continue until everyone decided it was up to him to leave the village.

Yao Qingxue spoke up.

"No! Wu Liang can't go out!"

Her voice was a good few decibels louder than everyone else's, instantly silencing the crowd and causing them to incredulously turn to her.

This was the first time they had seen the Saintess so agitated.

"We can't… it's too dangerous outside… he just can't go out!" Yao Qingxue's voice softened considerably as she faced everyone's gaze, but she still insisted on her stance.

To be honest, Yao Qingxue knew it was most reasonable for Wu Liang to take on the task of leaving the village, but she couldn't understand why she was so opposed to it.

Within her, a deep-seated resistance flared against sending him to a dangerous place, filling her mind with worry about him getting hurt.

"Why, Saintess Yao? Do we have a better plan?"

"Yeah, who else besides him can fight the Fierce Ghosts?"

The villagers were baffled.

But Yao Qingxue couldn't provide a clear explanation; she simply had a gut feeling that if Wu Liang were injured or even sacrificed, she might regret it for a lifetime.

"I…"

"Mom, it's alright, let me go."

Seeing the troubled expression on his mother's face, Wu Liang stepped forward with a bright smile, patting her on the shoulder before she could finish speaking.

He had found this suitable reason precisely to persuade his mother.

Otherwise, if he were alone, Wu Liang even thought he might engage in the demonic act of driving the villagers out to bait the ghosts for a cunning strategy.

"But you're just a human! Out there, they're all ghosts! What if something happens to you?" Yao Qingxue's eyes glistened with tears.

She didn't know why she felt such emotions for a child she had only met a few days ago, as if Wu Liang truly were her son.

Her maternal instinct compelled her to protect Wu Liang, allowing no harm to befall him.

"It's alright, we'll all be fine. You've done enough; leave the rest to me," Wu Liang gently reassured her.

She had spent year after year in this village full of the dead.

Since he had found her, he couldn't let her continue enduring this forgetful, bewildering existence.

With that, the Nightmare quietly exerted its power on Yao Qingxue, causing her to become exceedingly drowsy until she rested her head and fell asleep against the wall.

"Saintess Yao has been exhausted these days. After I take her home to rest, I'll head out of the village. In the meantime, please don't venture out unnecessarily and risk alerting the Fierce Ghosts outside!"

As he spoke, Wu Liang supported his mother as they walked further away.

Once she was settled, he grabbed the supply pack he had with him when he arrived and left the village gate, observed by the entire village.

Just as he had come, he left.

Returning to this solitary state, Wu Liang naturally called upon the Fierce Ghost Minions to help carry items, leaping with enhanced strength thanks to the Breaking Blade until he reached the tallest tree in the forest.

He climbed up like a monkey to survey his surroundings, since the Mist Ghost's flight capability wasn't available five years ago.

However, the moment he reached the top, Wu Liang noticed something peculiar.

"People… living outside the village!?"

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