Chapter 00253: The Infiltrator
# The Infiltrator
Chapter 253
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 253: The Infiltrator
Sun Fuling smiled and said, "Only the divine beings, high above in the Nine Heavens, have no substantial conflict with humanity, would it be possible for this matter to be promoted. Look, since nations appeared in the human world and began to use Yuan Force, the monsters and immortals have grown weaker and the wild beasts can hardly compete. Even the Daoist practitioners need to bow to the Emperor and seek titles and positions.”
He Lingchuan asked in surprise, "If that is the case, why do some say that Yuan Force is taught by the immortals?"
"The historical records state that during the Middle Ages, demonic beasts ran rampant, causing havoc among the people. They were considered one of two great disasters, along with floods, and the immortals, or cultivators, were their mortal enemies," Sun Fuling explained.
"The spiritual energy between Heaven and Earth has diminished, and cultivators hope to seize it from the demonic beasts, which is likewise true for the beasts. Some old scholars believe that Yuan Force is imparted by immortals because for a long time, the sects allied with nations to combat the monsters. In order to address a common enemy, sects made a deliberate effort to present themselves favorably to humanity. Meanwhile, divine beings remain elusive, unverifiable, and beyond reach."
Thus, nations established by humanity spread across the world, while the majority of monsters were driven into the remote mountains and wetlands.
Anomalies like the Northern Demon Country are indeed a rarity.
"Divine beings…," this is a mysterious term, but He Lingchuan had heard it many times in different contexts.
Back then, Yan Songyu even summoned a divine being to seize the Grand Fang Pot, "Why help humanity?"
Sun Fuling spread both hands, "Who truly understands such ethereal entities? I have heard countless legends, but they all seem far-fetched."
She smiled, "You might as well ask Commandant Zhong or General Hong about such questions."
Indeed, these two were closer to divine beings than most.
He Lingchuan scratched his head, changing the subject: "How do you plan to spend these days off?"
"I want to go…"
Suddenly, a sharp scream came from the west, interrupting her.
The voice was shrill, either a woman’s or a child’s.
The sound stopped abruptly, but He Lingchuan had already discerned the direction and pointed at the nearby scholar tree, saying to Sun Fuling, "Stay under the tree and don’t move!"
This scholar tree was quite large; although it had shed all its leaves in winter, the trunk formed an angle with the low wall nearby.
At that moment, the sun was slanting from the west and did not reach this place, making it a concealed spot for a person to stand.
He himself dashed towards the sound.
Leaping over three low walls and two earthen houses, he found a boy face-down, collapsed on the threshold.
He Lingchuan turned him over.
The boy looked to be about six or seven years old, his eyes wide open in terror, and his neck was broken.
There were several small puncture wounds on his neck, as if pierced by sharp claws.
The boy stared at He Lingchuan, his mouth moved but no words came out; he swallowed his last breath.
Once a person dies, they cannot be resurrected.
It was more urgent to catch the murderer.
He gently laid the boy’s body down and examined the nearby traces.
Having pursued demons as a watchman several times, he had accumulated quite an experience.
At this moment, he noticed a footprint on the ground beside the boy’s body—
It was a human footprint, but it was less than the length of his palm.
He jumped up onto the wall and discovered splatters of fresh blood on the tiles, a place where the attacker’s forelimbs had pressed down, stained with the child's blood.
Chase!
He activated the Swallow Return Technique and sprinted in the determined direction.
Three months of day and night cultivation had paid off.
He darted through narrow streets and cramped houses, his speed barely hindered by obstacles, almost as agile as a real swallow.
Soon after, he spotted a shadow darting across the eastern wall, seeming to jump into someone’s window.
He had caught up!
He Lingchuan silently landed on the roof tiles, holding his breath and waiting.
After a long while, the figure hadn’t come out.
He wondered if it was waiting for him to enter.
Not falling for the trap, he lit a small medicine vial and threw it in through the window.
A tinkling sound rang out as the vial shattered.
Quickly, a thick cloud of yellowish smoke poured out from the doors and windows, accompanied by a series of hoarse coughing sounds.
Was the murderer really human?
This smoke was effective in driving out monsters and wild beasts, such as weasels, foxes, and burrowing spiders, but proved equally effective against humans.
Only a moment later, He Lingchuan saw a shadow spring out of the window, fleeing in a frenzy.
The distance between them was no more than two or three zhang.
He was prepared, raised his wrist, and the hidden box activated, shooting out a hidden arrow.
He hit it.
However, he aimed for the back where the heart lay, yet the arrow struck the creature’s leg.
Attacking a high-speed moving target always required precision which he lacked this time.
The shadow staggered, letting out a strange low growl, and continued to charge forward.
He Lingchuan secretly sighed in regret.
The hidden arrows he had equipped were mediocre goods bought from a thin man; their material and power were just average.
If only he had used the custom-made purple gold arrows from Li Fubo, the creature's thigh would surely have been pierced, and with the attached rope, he could easily have pulled it back.
As it stood, the hidden arrows only slowed it down.
The importance of equipment often becomes evident in crucial moments.
He Lingchuan dared not delay, leaping down from the rooftop in pursuit.
At that moment, the smoke hadn’t dissipated, his vision unclear.
As soon as he landed, he felt a slight breeze stir behind him, sending a chill through him.
An ambush!
He had no time to think further; bending his knee, he rolled sideways, gripping the knife handle at his waist, and executed a sweeping slash!
Sure enough, there was indeed a shadow lying in wait behind him, resisting the choking thick smoke, trying to strike He Lingchuan from behind.
This creature was evidently working with accomplices!
Thanks to He Lingchuan’s quick reflexes.
Yet even so, he felt a searing pain spreading across his back.
He had been injured.
If he had hesitated for even half a second, this creature would have likely punctured several large holes in his back.
Fortunately, his knife also struck the creature's chest.
That blow felt like striking rotten leather and did not provide that satisfying sensation of cleaving through flesh.
However, the creature screamed in pain, retaliating against He Lingchuan’s attack like a tempest.
Clang clang, their weapons clashed, and in the surrounding mist, sparks flew.
He Lingchuan soon realized that this opponent was significantly larger than the first shadow he had been pursuing but was far less agile.
No wonder its first reaction after being attacked was to lurk and counter rather than flee.
Moreover, this shadow choked on the smoke, slowing its offensive.
If it weren’t relying on its rough skin and thick flesh, it would have likely been cleaved in two by He Lingchuan.
Its outer layer was thicker than aged vines.
The well-honed long knife of the watchman inflicted minimal damage on it.
As long as it protected its neck and head, He Lingchuan found himself momentarily unable to do anything.
With this layer of thick skin, it was nearly invincible.
He now saw clearly that this opponent was bony and emaciated, wrapped in a layer of outer skin.
The skin had a darkish hue and was covered with fine scales.
At first glance, it appeared humanoid, with its lower limbs longer than its upper ones, allowing it to stand upright and attack.
However, its forelimbs had only three toes, with claws that resembled scissors and had remarkable hardness, capable of facing off against He Lingchuan's blade.
What was even more terrifying was its face…
It had no face at all, merely two sunken eye sockets that flickered with green ghostly flames.
The other opening, whether a nose or a mouth, emitted insect-like hissing sounds.
Suddenly, it spat out a mouthful of thick green phlegm at He Lingchuan.
With the two of them so close, it had a spit-and-hit style.
He Lingchuan dared not let it hit him and instinctively raised the knife as a shield.
Immediately, he heard a hissing sound from the blade and a peculiar odor wafted in.
If this thick substance splattered directly on his face, then…
In this dream, he would have to say goodbye to his handsome friend, right?
At that moment, a shadow flickered on the wall; the agile creature he had pursued reappeared, wordlessly joining the fray.
One strong and the other swift, it turned into a two-against-one.
How much of a chance did he have?
He Lingchuan found himself in a precarious situation.
If it hadn’t been for his recent life-or-death experiences in the Martial Arts Hall, greatly enhancing his character and skills, he would have been disemboweled in the first two encounters, ultimately facing an early demise.
But he was uncertain how much longer he could hold on.
Should he take a chance and get hurt a little to deal with the agile creature first? As he pondered this, a sudden "clang" echoed, and someone poured a pot of boiling water from behind, drenching the muscular creature.
The thing let out a sharp cry, its hands flailing chaotically.
Its cry was strange, like the chirping of an insect mixed with the wail of an owl.
He Lingchuan would not let such a good opportunity slip.
While the creature instinctively turned around, he made a decisive cut at its neck.
He knew this beast had thick skin, so he put all his force into that strike, summoning every ounce of might.
In that same moment, a dark object also smashed onto the beast’s head, emitting a loud banging noise, perfectly colliding with He Lingchuan's cut.
Green liquid splattered everywhere, and He Lingchuan swiftly dodged aside.
The creature’s neck was sliced open just over half, but the bone hadn’t been fully severed, still connected by a small piece.
Yet his knife had broken.
The edges of the blade had corroded earlier, and then it was wielded with great force; it could no longer withstand the pressure.
The muscular creature collapsed to the ground, twitching violently.
Seeing that its situation was dire, its accomplice turned to flee, moving even faster than before!
He Lingchuan shot a hidden arrow at its back, only able to watch it escape.
"What brought you here?" At this moment, the smoke had mostly cleared, and he could see who had come to his aid—
Sun Fuling.
She was still holding a large pot, with a deep dent at the bottom.
It was her who had poured boiling water on the monster, followed by a direct hit to the creature’s forehead, perfectly coordinating with He Lingchuan; otherwise, he might not have been able to slice the monster's neck.
The creature on the ground couldn’t rise but still reached out its claws toward people.
It was almost going to touch Sun Fuling's shoe when He Lingchuan yanked her back: "Didn’t I tell you to stay under the tree?"
"This place is too lively," she seemed unfazed, just leaning down to observe, "What kind of ghostly thing is this?" Even with its neck mostly severed, it still didn’t die.
He Lingchuan admitted, "I haven’t seen it either."
Since joining the watchman’s team, they had killed four or five dozen monsters, and none of them looked like this.
Saying it resembled a monster would be an understatement.
It looked more like a malevolent spirit.
However, ghosts feared the true fire of the sun and generally would not act during the day, let alone underneath the sun.
He noticed clearly during his pursuit that sunlight fell upon the monster’s body, yet it showed no signs of discomfort at all.
"Where did the hot water come from?"
Sun Fuling pointed inside the house: "I got it from the stove; it had just boiled."
"Is someone living here?"
"Yes, but they died on the ground."
Sun Fuling turned and walked into the house.
(End of Chapter)