Chapter 122: The Black Shadow

Yue Qi walked all the way to the mansion Xue Hong had mentioned. Although not many people recognized him along the way, some looked at him with a hint of awe.

When he arrived at the residence, the gatekeepers recognized him. Clearly, they were aware that Yue Qi had been in seclusion for the past few days, so they simply nodded slightly and let him enter.

As he strolled through the grounds, Yue Qi reflected on his initial visit to rescue Xue Minwen, when he had only observed the surroundings in passing. Now, seeing it more closely, he noted the construction was quite impressive; it must have belonged to a high-ranking official before the catastrophe.

After walking a few more steps, Yue Qi suddenly spotted a familiar figure. He did not know the man's name, but he recalled seeing him standing next to Xue Minwen back in the dungeon.

The man clearly noticed Yue Qi as well. He paused for a moment, exchanged a few words with his companions, and then walked over to Yue Qi.

"Master Yue!" The man bowed respectfully and cupped his hands, saying, "Boss Xue is currently in the main hall discussing matters with the others. Would you like me to take you to him?"

It was obvious the man had guessed Yue Qi was here to find Xue Minwen; otherwise, he wouldn't have been wandering in this direction.

Yue Qi did not speak, but the title the man used made him feel quite awkward. "Master" made him feel old; in his mind, those so-called masters were always elderly men with white hair and long beards, dressed in blue robes, standing on cliffs gazing into the distance.

"That... there is no need for that right now. Let's not disturb them. I will wait until they are finished," Yue Qi said after a moment’s thought. He was not in the habit of barging into people's meetings.

"Very well. Perhaps I could take you to the guest room to sit for a while? There are some snacks and tea there. I believe Master Yue would enjoy them," the man said, showing great tact. Seeing the confusion in Yue Qi’s eyes, he added, "We still have many surviving chefs. They might not be good at much else, but they are quite skilled at that!"

Yue Qi suddenly understood and said, "That won't be necessary. If it’s not too much trouble, could you just show me around the mansion? If not, I can just walk by myself."

"Of course, I have time!" The man, seeing how approachable Yue Qi was, seemed somewhat flustered and quickly added, "Boss Xue has long given orders that if you were to come, he would drop whatever he was doing to attend to you. You are a great benefactor to our camp; without you, those two treacherous wretches might have taken over!"

Hearing this, even the composed Yue Qi felt a sense of pride. He had never been praised like this before. Back in the small forest, although the old man had praised his talent, he had always been overshadowed by Qin Luo. To be spoken of as if he had saved the world gave him a feeling of triumph he found hard to resist.

"Then thank you, brother," Yue Qi smiled. Since the man had put it that way, it would be rude to remain distant. "May I ask your name?"

Hearing a god-like figure call him "brother" clearly left the man flattered. After a moment, he replied, "My name is Liu Feng. I was the butler of this mansion. After the disaster, many of us were trapped here, but fortunately, Boss Xue came to our rescue, and we were able to get out."

He paused, then continued, "After interacting with Boss Xue, I felt his true character. It’s not just me; many in the camp feel the same. Boss Xue is a good man, and since most of us have benefited from his kindness, we have pledged our lives to him."

Liu Feng spoke with such sincerity that even Yue Qi felt moved. However, recalling Xue Minwen's shrewdness, he felt the man might not be as simple as he appeared. But since he wouldn't be staying long, he decided to let it be.

Yue Qi nodded without further comment; he hadn't known Xue Minwen long enough to pass judgment.

***

Seeing Yue Qi’s expressionless face, Liu Feng seemed slightly disappointed, but he quickly regained his composure and led Yue Qi on a tour of the mansion.

With Liu Feng as his guide, he knew every corner of the estate. Yue Qi learned that it had belonged to a general, and Liu Feng had been his butler. Xue Minwen’s first rescue mission had been to save this general, but the general had died protecting his wife and children, and after turning into a zombie, he had killed his own children. Fortunately, Xue Minwen had intervened just in time to save the rest.

The mansion was vast and remarkably well-preserved. The newly planted flowers and trees had evidently been transplanted from elsewhere to replace those destroyed during the chaos.

"This is the back garden. We only keep livestock here—no dangerous beasts. The Prince enjoyed this in his lifetime: raising poultry and spending time with his wife and children," Liu Feng said. The "Prince" he referred to was the deceased general. When speaking of him, Liu Feng looked dejected.

"Boss Xue kept all of this, saying it would give the Prince's old subordinates a place to reminisce about the time when he was still with us," Liu Feng added.

Yue Qi listened quietly, not wishing to interrupt.

Suddenly, a powerful killing intent surged from the center of the mansion!

"What is going on?!" An ordinary person would not have sensed it, and had Yue Qi not been extending his spiritual senses, he might have missed it too. It lasted only for an instant, but it was exceptionally distinct.

"Where is that?" Yue Qi pointed toward the source of the killing intent and asked Liu Feng immediately.

"That?" Liu Feng, who had been about to share more memories, froze. "That is where Boss Xue and the others are meeting. Why?"

"Quick, go! Something is wrong there!" Yue Qi shouted. Without waiting for Liu Feng to react, he accelerated and rushed toward the source of the killing intent.

"The smell of blood!" Before he even reached the building, a thick, metallic stench hit him. The scent spread quickly. Others had already reached the entrance but had not yet gone inside. Seeing Yue Qi arrive, they looked relieved.

"What happened?" Yue Qi demanded, refraining from rushing in immediately.

"We don't know! We heard a scream and rushed over. We just arrived when we saw you, Master Yue!" someone replied.

"I am going inside. You all stay outside and keep watch for anyone suspicious! If you see anyone, call me immediately!" Yue Qi roared and dashed into the house.

As soon as he entered, the smell of blood became overwhelming. There were many corpses on the floor; they had all been slaughtered, each with a fist-sized hole in their abdomen.

Even having witnessed many bloody scenes, Yue Qi found this repulsive and deeply eerie. The victims were already dead, yet he hadn't seen a single soul.

Yue Qi had moved as fast as he could. The others had arrived upon hearing the scream, but Yue Qi had sensed the killing intent before the assault even began; he had simply been too far away to arrive sooner.

***

"Wait, where is Xue Minwen?" Yue Qi wondered. He could not find any trace of him, even though Liu Feng had said he was meeting in this very room.

"Could the killer be him?" Yue Qi paused, then suddenly heard a sound coming from the back hall!

"Someone is still here!" Yue Qi’s eyes narrowed as he rushed toward the back hall. Just as he arrived, he felt a pressure beside him!

"Bang!" Yue Qi dodged violently, and a vase smashed into the spot where he had been standing. Had he remained there, he would have been knocked unconscious, or at the very least, stunned for several seconds.

"Who is it!" Yue Qi shouted. He saw a figure leap out toward the window, throwing a small fireball at the person on the floor before escaping!

"A cultivator?!" Yue Qi was stunned, but he reacted quickly. With a soft mutter, he summoned a ball of water from his hand and launched it at the fireball.

The water and fire collided, creating a cloud of white steam that slowly dissipated. Looking at the person on the floor, Yue Qi was shocked. It was none other than Xue Hong’s father, the leader of the camp, Xue Minwen.

"What happened?!" Yue Qi rushed forward, using his water energy to stabilize him. Xue Minwen had already fainted. Yue Qi saw a large hole in his chest, but through his immense inner strength, he had managed to hold on until now.

"Cough, cough!" After a long while, Xue Minwen regained consciousness. His face was deathly pale, and he looked as though he might pass away at any moment.

"Run! Take Hong'er and leave! It’s a zombie! They have a conspiracy!" After saying this, Xue Minwen had no strength left to speak. He slumped back, his breath finally ceasing.

"Father!" Xue Hong, who had rushed over at some point, cried out. Her reaction had been remarkably swift.

"Brother Yue?!" Xue Hong asked, looking at her father’s lifeless body, her tears unstoppable.

"I don't know the full situation. When I arrived, I saw a black shadow, but your father just told me it was a zombie!" Yue Qi said gravely.

"A zombie?!" Xue Hong froze, standing there in a daze.