Chapter 40 - Midnight
“Hmm? What is he saying?” Li Huowang went and checked on Simpleton.
As soon as he walked into the forest, he was shocked by what he saw—Simpleton and the old Monk were squatting down in front of a small mound of dirt, eating something. There were a few pieces of yellow paper weighed down by a rock and placed on the mound.
Li Huowang tried suppressing his anger as he kicked Simpleton. “Get up! How dare you eat the food people made to offer to the dead?! Do you have a death wish?! Didn’t I tell you not to talk to him?!”
Simpleton stood up awkwardly. “I... I didn’t... didn’t talk to him.”
“Kneel down and apologize to the grave!” Li Huowang ordered.
After Simpleton had apologized to the grave, Li Huowang pulled Simpleton up with only his hands.
This was a strange world with many supernatural beings. He didn’t dare to risk anything. It would be bad if something were to happen just because he didn’t take care of this properly.
Li Huowang unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the old Monk. “I don’t care what your goal is, but leave me and my people alone, or you will regret it!”
Before the old Monk could even say anything, Li Huowang had pulled Simpleton away.
“I’m just a Monk.” The old man mumbled as he continued eating the food that was meant for the dead.
Everyone soon resumed their journey. Meanwhile, Li Huowang’s face was serious as he started giving orders. “Don’t sleep too soundly these coming few nights. We might have trouble.”
Even though Simpleton had apologized, no one knew what kind of attitude the thing in the grave had; Li Huowang didn’t want to risk it.
Hearing what he had said, the rest of them understood and nodded their heads.
As the sun started to set, everyone stopped their journey and went into the forest to find some firewood. Li Huowang made sure that the fire burned extra bright today. He even asked some people to chop some extra firewood today.
There was no moon, and the surroundings were pitch black. The tree branches swayed in the wind, as if there were numerous things hiding in the darkness, watching them.
As more and more time passed, his surroundings got quieter and quieter. Soon, everyone was fast asleep.
However, Li Huowang was still awake, almost as if he was waiting for something.
Not only was he wary of the dark forest, but he was also wary of the old Monk.
If something were to emerge from the grave to haunt them, then it would probably find the old Monk first.
It might actually be good if something were to come. At least I would then have an opportunity to see what the old Monk’s true identity is.
The first half of the night soon passed and came into the second half of the night. This was the time when everyone would be the most groggy from sleep.
“Senior Li, that place... I think I just saw a face.” Puppy’s voice shook as he spoke. He was on guard duty along with Li Huowang.
However, when Li Huowang quickly scanned the darkness, he saw nothing.
“Are you sure?” whispered Li Huowang.
Puppy swallowed his saliva and replied, “I’m not sure... maybe I just saw something else.”
“Stay quiet, and don’t talk,” Li Huowang said as he pretended to tend to the fire while keeping an eye on that spot.
After some time, under the glow of the fire, he saw an ugly face emerging from the darkness with a cruel smile on its face.
What made Li Huowang shudder was the fact that more and more faces slowly emerged from the darkness. At the same time, a metallic reflection could be seen underneath their faces from time to time.
“Wait, a metallic reflection?” Li Huowang immediately stood up and threw a flaming branch in their direction. “Stop! Who are you people?!”
Li Huowang’s shout shook everyone awake from their sleep.
As the flaming branch landed close to the faces, Li Huowang saw that they had hands and feet. They were humans!
At this point, it was not only Li Huowang who saw them, everyone else did too. At the same time, some of them also saw the blades in their hands and shouted, “Bandits! Run!”
This shout pierced the darkness, and everyone started acting immediately; everyone dispersed as fast as possible.
“Shit! We’ve been spotted! Quickly bring the horses!” The bandits immediately ran after them.
“Run into the forest! Their horses can’t run well there!” shouted the old Monk.
Hearing the old Monk, everyone rushed into the forest.
Li Huowang and the rest ran too, but their donkey cart was not as fast as horses.
Hearing the thundering sound of horse hooves, Li Huowang turned back and saw a bandit on a horse swinging his blade toward an old lady.
“We have to fight!” Li Huowang shouted before immediately taking out a pill and eating it, the warm feeling once again coursing through his body.
Then, Li Huowang leaped toward the bandit.
At the same time, the old Monk suddenly appeared beside the old woman and pushed her down.
The bandit on the horse huffed and pulled on the reins, causing the horse to raise its front feet as it attempted to stomp the people on the ground.
The bandit smiled cruelly, awaiting the bloody mess that would soon come. He loved stealing and toying with women.
But in the next moment, he saw someone rushing toward him and punching his horse.
The horse neighed in pain and changed its direction, causing its hooves to slam heavily on the right of the old Monk.
Meanwhile, the bandit was powerless to do anything as he fell off the horse. At the same time, he saw the head of the horse suddenly explode, shocking him immensely.
Then, with a dull thud, his head exploded as well.
Meanwhile, when they saw that their comrade was in danger, the other bandits whistled to call for reinforcements.
On the other hand, Li Huowang needed to make sure the bandits realized that they had targeted the wrong crowd while Dan Yangzi’s pill was still effective.
As the sound of fighting resounded in the dark night, the bandits hurriedly escaped after a few of them died.
“Retreat! He’s too strong! He might be someone from the Surveillance Bureau!”
Li Huowang stood there as he gasped for air, his knuckles covered in blood.
Then, he turned around and looked at the old Monk. After this fight, he knew that the old Monk was just a plain old Monk and nothing else.
Under Li Huowang’s gaze, the old Monk stood up and approached one of the people who had been cut down by the bandits before kneeling down and chanting something.
Li Huowang walked over and tried to hear what he was chanting.
“Amitabha, Amitabha, Amitabha...”
He was chanting “Amitabha” over and over again with a weird pronunciation.
After chanting it tens of times, the old man walked into the forest and dug a grave for the deceased.
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