bookbashuk Chapter 565 Deterrence
Chapter 565 Deterrence
Chapter 565 Deterrence
To be honest, if it weren't for the perilous surroundings, Wei Xi would probably have already used the [Annual Rings] to verify the "people" entering and leaving Hulu Town.
After all, the side effect of Dieji Mountain in helping cultivators form their core is the deletion of their memories. Who knows when this deletion will begin?
"These monsters are really a menace," Wei Xi thought to himself. "Wasn't the one who controlled the power of memories the Longevity Tree back then? Why is this old guy lending out his abilities everywhere?"
Of course, Wei Xi knew in his heart that he was smearing the Longevity Tree, since there was no direct evidence that Chang Wanqing, this old tree, had extended its roots to Dieji Mountain.
"Old Wood's name is also awful," Wei Xi vented his dissatisfaction by complaining. "Although Yu Xianzhou does nothing, his name is indeed much better-sounding."
Since regaining the [Cause and Effect], Wei Xi knew that he was at odds with the Heavenly Dao and immediately regarded the Heavenly Dao as a great enemy to be eliminated as soon as possible.
There was no other way; it was a conflict of ecological niches. Otherwise, Wei Xi, who was over thirty years old, wouldn't have chosen to separate the [Threads] and store them in the secret realm.
But this doesn't mean Wei Xi will give the Changshengmu and its group of demonic beasts a friendly look.
Putting everything else aside, the fact that the Everlasting Wood harbors thoughts of taking over the place within its own self is enough to make Wei Xi resent it.
Of course, Wei Xi gained a slight advantage by using the opponent's strength against them, which was entirely due to Wei's proper planning and going with the flow (actually, he was quite unlucky).
Since it was earned through Wei Xi's labor, she was now completely confident in her ability to withstand the power of the Everlasting Wood.
"While it might not be Old Wood's doing, the use of the [Growth Rings] of the Dieji Mountain shouldn't affect my memories, right?"
Fortunately, although Wei Xi had her doubts, this small risk could not stop her:
Even setting aside the task forced upon her by the Hehuan Sect, the two benefits of helping Qin Feng understand the risks of Core Formation and gathering information on the Weavers were enough to motivate her to venture into Calabash Town again.
"Fellow Daoist Wei, since I have not changed, should those corpse collectors still investigate?"
"What I mean is, if we enter Calabash Town later, won't these corpse collectors be left without anyone to follow us?"
"It won't delay you."
Upon hearing this, Yu Jin's face fell, and he said with a wry smile, "Fellow Daoist Wei, I just produced a seven-character divination slip with no words on the reverse side. It's really unfair that you want us to split up."
Wei Xi frowned, somewhat puzzled, and asked, "Who wants to split up with you?"
What a joke! Just because of the fragments of the universe's warp and weft that are wrapped around the [Soul Chasing Sign], Wei Xi would never let the embers of the sign out of his sight.
If the embers attract the Sky Weaver, and Wei is unable to watch, wouldn't that be a huge loss?
"But time is tight and the task is heavy. How can we follow up on both leads without splitting up into two groups?"
Yu Jin's gaze fell on E Qiyu, who was lying dead on the cart, and he suddenly realized, "Could it be a puppet? Fellow Daoist Wei truly lives up to his reputation as Elder Xianhua's beloved disciple. His puppet-making skills are superb, surpassing even his master."
Wei Xi interrupted Yu Jin's endless "praise" and said simply, "The time of day and night is different here, but you and I can explore Hulu Town during the day and track down the corpse collector at night."
"Huh?" Yu Jin asked in surprise, "Can you handle all this mental strain?"
Wei Xi was genuinely surprised this time. "What's so difficult about it? Do you usually rest when you encounter these kinds of opportunities?"
"I'm not as unlucky as you."
Yu Jin realized he had blurted out his thoughts, but it was too late to cover his mouth. He could only laugh awkwardly and reply, "I have never seen such an opportunity before. I will follow Fellow Daoist Wei's instructions."
Wei Xi naturally understood Yu Jin's implied meaning, but she simply replied with a nonchalant "I know." This effectively shut down any further words Yu Jin might say.
The number of body collectors was greater than Wei Xi had imagined. Despite the long delay, body collectors were still coming to hand over the bodies.
It's clear that the later corpse collectors had traveled quite a distance: the one Wei Xi sent away only had a little mud on his boots; while the boots of the later corpse collectors who arrived in Hulu Town were covered in mud and water.
Wei Xi's intuition told her that something was wrong, but just as she was about to think about it, she heard someone begging for mercy.
Following the sound, they found an old man with only one leg, who was prostrate on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly towards Hulu Town.
"My lord! Spare me! This old man will definitely deliver enough corpses to the town tomorrow! I only beg you to spare me for one more day!"
"I am utterly loyal to Hulu Town! But my apprentice is a traitor; seeing that I have a broken leg, he actually colluded with outsiders! If you, sir, spare me for just one day, this old man will definitely catch that scoundrel and bring him back!"
The pleas for mercy were all pretty much the same. Putting aside the specific details, what truly terrified Wei Xi was the attitude of the corpse collectors around him.
These people showed neither schadenfreude nor compassion, only a slight sense of sorrow for the fallen.
It seems we already know that this person's only fate is death.
Thinking of this, Wei Xi glanced at the strange men standing on the city wall.
If these oddballs were to be considered the cryptic Weavers, Wei Xi thought, "Don't let them become a laughingstock!"
But one must have someone to beg for mercy from, and apart from these strange men standing silently on the city wall, there was really no one more suitable for the time being.
"Fellow Daoist Wei, are those strange people..."
Wei Xi agreed in his heart, but when he thought about how this charlatan had told him to his face that he was an unlucky guy, he didn't agree.
As it turns out, Wei Xi couldn't be matched at all on normal difficulty.
The one-legged old man suddenly stopped begging for mercy, grabbed his throat with both hands, and leaned backward uncontrollably. Then, before everyone's eyes, one of his missing legs "grew" out. Water, appearing out of nowhere, filled the gap in his limbs.
Even though the old man was definitely not a living person in Wei Xi's eyes, his will to survive still drove him to turn around and run away.
The severed limb, repaired by water, was surprisingly functional, running alongside its owner.
As he ran, water kept gushing from the one-legged old man's mouth and nose. His steps gradually became unsteady, his body quickly became transparent, and finally, he disintegrated into a puddle of water while running.
It turned out that the one-legged old man's hands weren't being controlled; he was simply choking on the water gushing from his body.
"This is too bizarre!" Yu Jin's face was filled with shock, the kind that even lividity couldn't hide. "He was drowned... no, he was decomposed into water?"
Wei Xi was even more shocked than Yu Jin—wasn't Yu Xianzhou, who controlled the water system of the world, in Dongyi? Why would some of the power over the water appear in Dieji Mountain, thousands of miles away?
However, Wei Xi now understood why corpse collectors risked their lives to deliver corpses; it was truly a job where one's head was on the line.
Wei Xi was indeed knowledgeable and experienced; at least she didn't wear her heart on her sleeve like Yu Jin did.
"Fellow Daoist Wei, is this your usual intensity?"