Chapter 2 is devoid of worldly desires

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Yu Ziqing felt a bit stiff all over from the cold. He got up, boiled some hot water, and ate a piece of dry naan that was as hard as a stone. After about half an hour, he finally began to feel a bit of warmth.

Following closely behind was Yu Ziqing, who in the blink of an eye saw the black mist rolling and dispersing to the sides. With a short sword in hand, Yu Ziqing pulled it from the mouth of the scar-faced man, moving like a leopard on the hunt, continuing to rush towards the other two individuals

From a distance, the entire forest appears to be like a battalion of soldiers standing in formation

The old sheep pointed in the direction of the mine, then pointed to itself, wrote the character "eat" on the ground, and then crossed it out

Unfortunately, there are no other options available, as the supplies have dwindled to a mere few.

Even if one is eaten, even if one is killed, it is always better than dying of hunger or thirst in this wilderness; there is always a chance to fight for survival

The existing intelligence of Yu Ziqing is mostly gathered bit by bit through eavesdropping every day. Regarding the detailed matters of the Jinlan mine, even the strongmen discuss it very little, and they have always been reticent about that mine, unwilling to engage in deeper conversations.

In just a few breaths, four corpses lay on the ground

Yu Ziqing pondered for a moment, grasped the meaning, and nodded his head

Please go this way, as it is dangerous over there

Yu Ziqing furrowed his brows slightly. Logically speaking, even if it is somewhat warmer in the mountains, these trees should have shed all their leaves by now, even if they do not die. How could there still be any reason for them to continue blooming?

The scar-faced man shouted sharply, opened his mouth, and a mass of black mist spewed forth, accompanied by the rustling sound of flying insects, heading straight for Yu Ziqing.

She peeked out from behind the withered tree, her eyes reflecting a hint of anxiety, glanced at the flock of sheep, and waved to Yu Ziqing.

However, in the next moment, just as Yu Ziqing's foot was about to touch the ground, a subconscious glance revealed that the woman still wore that anxious expression, blocking his way, her movements resembling a replay, causing a sudden jolt in his heart

Sister, stop posing. In this dreadful weather, people have long lost their worldly desires

In just a few breaths, everything is calm and tranquil

Even if the natural conditions here permit, it is unlikely that all the leaves and flowers show no signs of being grazed upon. Have those fleeing animals not passed through here?

At this moment, on the hillside to the left, where only a few sparse dead trees stood, a young woman dressed in a long gown gradually materialized from behind a dead tree, her form shifting from ethereal to solid.

A night without conversation

It can be considered as believing that just at the right moment, a skilled individual happened to pass by and effortlessly vanquished the evil spirits, after all, there is indeed a slight possibility of such an occurrence

The silver short sword, which emanated a chilling aura, has also returned to its original form

Faintly, one can still see the bodies burning in the bonfire, their arms nearly as thick as Yu Ziqing's waist, aside from those four strong men, who else could it be

According to what I overheard from these individuals chatting in their difficult dialect, they occasionally mentioned some amusing anecdotes about others.

Yu Ziqing carefully selected a portion from the few spoils of war, laboriously burying it quietly beneath a pile of rubble, as making additional plans is always prudent

Everything appears to be harmonious, yet Yu Ziqing's hair is almost standing on end

These individuals are remarkably sinister; who knows what other wicked tricks they have yet to unleash

Yu Ziqing chatted a bit, observing that Old Yang's emotions had stabilized, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief

They only need the rare resource known as Jinlan ore, and the mine also requires the people they bring; only then will they go to that so-called mine

On each side, there is a slope; on the left slope, there are a few scattered dead shrubs, and at the top is a prominent cliff, behind which lies an unfathomable chasm.

Those who arrive first are certainly not weak individuals, and it is reasonable to say that they can easily eliminate the evil path.

Yu Ziqing tilted his head to take a glance and then lowered it to speak to Old Yang

As Yu Ziqing approached, a thin, bony old goat squeezed out of the flock, trotting all the way to Yu Ziqing's front, looking up at him and bleating incessantly

Only the joyful bleating of the sheep, accompanied by the creaking sounds, intertwines and resonates.

At this moment, their bodies slowly sank into the layer of fallen leaves on the ground, as if the leaves were quicksand, gradually engulfing them bit by bit

He does not want to go either way, as neither side is certainly a good place

Once we arrive there, I will find a way for us to have enough to eat and take care of our health before anything else

Now that those few strong figures are gone, the nearby mines are certainly still worth visiting, but the variables have increased significantly.

A person should at least not be starved to death

Moments later, the goats with their round bellies, having eaten their fill, came to a satisfied halt, each collapsing under the trees, their faces seemingly adorned with an expression of immense contentment.

However, nothing happened

Yu Ziqing stood in place and offered a word of advice

It is nothing, the mine is not far away. Once it gets light, we will go over there. Let's focus on surviving first. However, old sir, you are afflicted by dark magic, and it seems that it cannot be resolved in the short term.

As the dawn breaks, the temperature does not rise significantly, and the weather is becoming increasingly cold

Well, it was that kind of super expert who suddenly descended from the sky, radiating brilliance all over, and with a single finger, killed those four guys, then vanished in an instant

Sir, do you think this woman who suddenly appeared is treating me like a fool

After all, would a legitimate mine engage in transactions with unscrupulous individuals?

Then what is there to hesitate about, Yu Ziqing, under the current conditions, will do his best to provide these few fellows with a complete set

There is nothing to regret after all, as Yu Ziqing definitely cannot endure not taking action, being at the mercy of others, nor can he bear to see the old gentleman who taught him many things being hung up and butchered

Last night, he had already collected the necessary information of four individuals. The short sword and its scabbard, which had originally been rusted together, now showed a slight gap at the point of contact, indicating that a trace of the original rust had fallen away, which also represented the completion of the judgment

As long as he takes action, he will definitely be able to eliminate the opponent

To be honest, unless absolutely necessary, even if he was confident in delivering a fatal blow, he had no intention of eliminating those few evil practitioners at this moment

However, as the team entered the mountains, following the faintly visible path and crossing three hilltops, Yu Ziqing began to sense that the atmosphere seemed somewhat off.

Without waiting for the old sheep to say anything, Yu Ziqing directly led the old sheep around the foot of the mountain, allowing him to see with his own eyes the two bonfires that were still burning

Some goats seemed to understand, hesitating and not daring to approach, while a few others, as if driven mad, rushed forward to nibble on the leaves and flowers.

The old sheep's eyes widened in disbelief, clearly anxious and evidently unconvinced by Yu Ziqing's nonsense

He tightly grasped the somewhat dazed old sheep, preventing it from going to that grove of locust trees, and dragged the old sheep along the narrow path through the middle of the valley, continuing to move forward

The old sheep came to his senses and silently sighed again, what a wonderful young person, but unfortunately not a mute

A scorching power bursts forth from within the body, the vital energy and blood surge like a mighty river, as if the coldness of the outside world no longer exists

Yu Ziqing sighed and tightened the tattered cloak around him

This wilderness borders the northwest of Da Qian, where a significant natural disaster has occurred. It is uncertain whether help can arrive from other places so quickly, but Da Qian will undoubtedly send personnel to investigate at the earliest opportunity to obtain firsthand information

As for the claim that Yu Ziqing acted on his own, given Yu Ziqing's frail appearance with thin arms and legs and his weakened vitality, Lao Yang did not even consider this possibility at all

By circumventing the foot of the mountain, I arrived at the other side, where the long-haired cattle lay on the ground, waiting for the night to pass. More than one hundred goats huddled together, shivering in the hollow of the mountain to avoid the cold

He took a light breath, his gaze sweeping over the remaining three individuals in an instant. The boiling blood and energy within him suddenly erupted, and as the dust beneath his feet slightly rose, his figure had already darted several zhang forward, heading straight for the three.

This young man is quite good in other respects, but he always loves to talk nonsense. Previously, he boasted about his hometown, claiming that no one would starve and that everyone has eaten meat.

It is not that there is no way to resolve this, but rather that you have been afflicted for a long time, and I do not possess the dark arts of those individuals. To my knowledge, the simplest method is to strip away the entire layer of sheep's skin, but given your current physical condition, even the most skilled butcher's efforts may be too much for you to endure the pain of skinning.

Yu Ziqing cleared his throat lightly, distancing himself from the bonfire that emitted a foul odor and the smell of burning. He gathered the easily portable items he had scavenged and placed them into a pouch, which he then tucked into his bosom.

His figure was emaciated, with sunken cheeks, and his waist seemed to lack the strength to straighten up. The surrounding cold wind appeared to materialize out of nowhere, causing him to shiver.

If there were other options, Yu Ziqing would not want to go to that place, which everyone knows is not a good mining site.

As the day brightened, under the dim sunlight, the team continued to set off, with the flock of sheep dully trailing behind. The distant mountains drew closer, and once they entered the continuous mountain range, the temperature suddenly rose slightly

However, Yu Ziqing remained expressionless, and the information he had previously gathered naturally surfaced in his mind. At the same moment the other party made a move, he bit his tongue, and a mouthful of scalding blood shot out like a sharp arrow.

On the right side, there are neatly grown locust trees, lush with branches and leaves, and clusters of gray flowers hanging down, while the ground is covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves

Well, that was something I said casually. In reality, I possess special abilities that I originally did not want to reveal. However, under pressure, I suddenly awakened and erupted, briefly becoming a great master, with vitality like a dragon, impervious to all evils

On the contrary, casually burying or simply cremating the deceased, due to the intense resentment, increases the likelihood of them transforming into vengeful spirits or malevolent ghosts. There have even been instances where improper handling has allowed the resentment itself to gain consciousness, transforming into malevolent entities seeking revenge

The other items have not yet been organized, and the vigorous energy coursing through Yu Ziqing's body, like a blazing sun, rapidly diminished and dissipated with a gust of wind, and in an instant, he returned to his original state

Cough...

A certain heretical faction was eliminated, and after being subjected to various treatments, it was completely annihilated. Therefore, in recent years, it has become impossible to go anywhere.

Yu Ziqing felt a jolt of spirit and quickly climbed to the top of a hill, gazing around, and then searched for a while in the valley.

Sever the head and burn it separately; extract the heart and feed it to the ferocious beasts; execute a waist chop to suppress both shores; pierce through the three seas and use talismans to seal the coffin, and so on

Old sir, did you not expect this? I am still alive. It is all right now; just a moment ago, those few sinister individuals were about to make their move when a master suddenly appeared

The old sheep shook its head, displaying a sense of openness, without being entangled in its current state.

The old sheep appeared somewhat dazed; whether he believed it or not, he had to believe it now

Look, this is another reason why I didn't plan to eliminate those few strong individuals in a hurry before; having four humanoid furnaces nearby is ultimately better than many alternatives

Indeed, these individuals resort to wicked practices to abduct people. They exert such great effort; it cannot possibly be solely for the purpose of obtaining fresh lamb. In my opinion, it is more convenient to transport and even easier to conceal. Once they arrive there, they might find a way to resolve it.

Yu Ziqing crouched down, tugged at the corner of his mouth, revealing a brilliant smile, his face full of innocence

The sword blade and the scabbard have completely rusted together, signifying the absence of a target to draw the sword against

Those few practitioners of the dark arts believed that Yu Ziqing could not understand their convoluted dialect, and when they spoke, they never turned their backs on others. Of course, it is also possible that they simply did not care at all

Gazing intently at the woman, in weather so cold it could freeze a person, she was dressed in a thin and somewhat tattered long gown. By the standards set by the old gentleman, if this were in a bustling area, it would surely attract the attention of many old lecherous men.

Yu Ziqing held a short sword, pondered for a moment, and then stepped forward to deliver the finishing blows one by one

Apart from that, not a single living person can be seen

Sir, I have taken a brief look around. This place is surrounded by mountains, resembling a closed-off whole. It seems there is geothermal activity underground, and the mining site here is still active, which is likely the reason for this.

The remaining few goats that had not yet eaten their fill seemed to see nothing at all, contentedly nibbling on the leaves and flowers.

Yu Ziqing struck decisively, eliminating one of the formidable opponents in an instant

Yu Ziqing concealed a short sword, which was merely for show, at his waist. It was so rusted that it was unrecognizable, and there were not even any traces of blood on it, yet it could still kill someone

The old sheep looked to the right, then to the left, and seriously nodded at Yu Ziqing.

Those few sinister fellows could not harm me at all; with a single sword strike for each, I easily dispatched all four of them as if they were mere chicks.

This person simply wants to take the middle path for himself

Saying this, Yu Ziqing was about to step onto the small path in the middle to continue forward

Everything I just felt seems like an illusion, yet that memory of a force flowing smoothly like an instinct has not yet dissipated

As I observed, several of the sheep appeared unscathed, their emaciated bellies visibly swelling at a noticeable pace, prompting another sheep in the flock to succumb to temptation and rush forward.

Upon entering the mountains, I received a rare piece of good news. In this increasingly cold and dreadful weather, a warm place is truly hard to come by

If you want to die, then go ahead

It has gone wrong, I have been deceived

With this set of actions, there is essentially no chance of becoming a ghost.

The blood arrow plunged into the black mist, immediately emitting a series of hissing sounds. Before his figure arrived, the short sword in his hand slipped from his grasp, transforming into a streak of silver light, vanishing into the black mist.

Yu Ziqing chuckled and said with a serious expression

Scattered and fragmented, Yu Ziqing summarized a few common methods aimed at eradicating the root cause to prevent future troubles, avoiding any tactics from the other party such as "not letting you go even after becoming a ghost"

Not far behind the lingering thoughts of Yuzi, a commotion arose from the flock of sheep that followed. One by one, the emaciated goats, their skin stretched tightly over their bones, rushed towards the right slope upon seeing the branches and bouquets that nearly touched the ground.

After a moment, using the gathered kerosene, I ignited two piles of flames, casually throwing in the severed hair, black whips, and other sinister items to be cremated.

It is surprising to see green here

The old sheep seemed to sense Yu Ziqing's worries and reached out a hoof to nudge Yu Ziqing

On one side, there is an eerily quiet death, while on the other side, it is certainly not human