Martial Arts Crossover: The Sweeping Monk of Wudang? That's our patriarch!

Watching Lin Daochen's figure gradually disappear into the twilight, a guard gripped his sword hilt and sighed heavily.

"Alas... these man-eating monsters have harmed so many honest people! So many children, once they left the city gates, never to return..."

"When we were searching for supplies to survive, they tore everything up and swallowed it."

The words had barely left their mouths when the two sighed in unison. But just then, the guard beside them suddenly frowned and asked in a low voice:

"I have a question—I've heard rumors for years that the Yao warriors are bloodthirsty and cannibalistic, but think about it, the rumors are everywhere, yet we haven't even found a trace of the 'medicine.' What exactly do those 'medicines' look like? Is it true, or just pure fabrication?"

Upon hearing this, the other person was stunned: "Wow...it's true!"

Rumors have been circulating for years, with stories of demonic martial arts harming people spreading like wildfire, but who has actually witnessed it? Who has touched that so-called "medicine"? The thought sparked the guard's interest; he turned to his companion and grinned.

"What are you afraid of? If you want to find out, let's go now! Maybe we'll stumble upon some rare things we don't usually see—dare you come with me on this adventure?"

His companion's face turned deathly pale, and he waved his hands frantically, "Are you crazy? That place is a monster that eats people alive! If we go there, we probably won't even come back with our bodies. It's much safer to just stay here and guard the gate. It's not worth risking our lives like this!"

Seeing him back down, the guard snorted, turned and walked away without looking back, uttering the words as he went:

"Fine, you're a coward, I'll go myself! If anything goes wrong, you'll cover for me—don't let the captain know I ran away. If I'm caught, I won't get a single penny of my drinking money next month!"

"Hey! You little rascal, are you trying to blackmail me with the money you owe me? If you don't pay me back, I'm going to tell the captain right now!"

"Go ahead and tell them, the captain knows what's going on anyway—I'm leaving, you guard your gate, I'll watch the show. If there's any new development, I'll definitely let you know!"

The figure disappeared at the end of the city gate, and the remaining guard slowly exhaled, his gaze darkening, a barely perceptible hint of pity flashing in his eyes.

He knew all too well why Li Kui insisted on going to Youming Village instead of staying put at the city gate.

Li Kui's parents mysteriously disappeared ten years ago. Rumors circulated that they were dragged into the mountains by "medicine" and devoured until nothing was left. But no one caught them alive, and no one found their remains—leaving behind only two empty beds and a boy's ten years of arduous searching.

Upon catching a glimpse of Lin Daochen's demeanor, Li Kui was startled: this man was no ordinary person; he must be a cultivator.

Three years ago, during the chaos, Lin Daochen led the guards to clear out several demonic trails. Although he did not directly confront the true form of the demons, the image of that man coldly solving cases and effortlessly breaking through obstacles was already etched into Li Kui's mind.

Now that old friends have reunited, how could they let this opportunity slip by easily? This is clearly the only key to unlocking the gates of the Netherworld Village.

If you're lucky enough, you might actually stumble upon the "medicine" that swallowed your parents back then—the truth might be hidden behind its fangs.

At this moment, Li Kui had already stepped out of the city gate.

Outside the city, a vast, desolate forest stretched out, its branches jagged and its leaves all gone, eerily barren. Deep within the forest, pairs of eerie red eyes quietly lit up, like embers flickering in the fire.

Li Kui stopped at the edge of the forest, his Adam's apple bobbing, and finally stamped his foot before striding inside.

Unbeknownst to him, a gaze was fixed intently on his back from the dense foliage behind him.

Only after his figure had completely disappeared into the woods did the man slowly emerge—his white robes were as white as snow, his long hair cascaded down his shoulders, and his face was handsome to the point of being cold. A flicker of doubt crossed his eyes.

"Following me? Doesn't seem like it... Never mind, let's follow up for a bit and see what he's after."

Lin Daochen flicked his sleeves and glided into the shadows of the forest like smoke. He wanted to see which old grievance this impetuous man was going to reopen.

Li Kui ventured deep into the forest. The tree canopies were sparse, the branches twisted and gnarled like ghost claws, and there were hardly any withered leaves on the ground. The bare earth was exposed, exuding a gray and lifeless aura—the more open it was, the more chilling it became.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he steeled himself, trudging deeper into the woods. But after only a few steps, dozens of eerie red lights suddenly appeared before him—like blood-soaked embers, staring intently at him from within the dense shadows. Their silhouettes were all hidden behind the dark branches, motionless and silent, yet their presence was suffocating. He paused, instinctively wanting to retreat.

But the image of his parents' withered, pale faces suddenly flashed into his mind. His knuckles clenched until they turned white, and with a grit of his teeth, he charged in. The long sword at his waist was drawn with a clang, its cold light cleaving through the darkness.

After walking for about ten breaths, a heart-wrenching wail suddenly erupted all around—not a cry, not a shout, but the last whimper of a living person whose throat had been brutally torn off. His back stiffened, and the hairs on his body stood on end.

Just then, the bushes on the left burst open with a loud "whoosh!" A swift footstep rushed straight towards the back of Li Kui's neck—his scalp tingled, and he swung his sword horizontally, rushing towards the source of the sound.

"Who?!" he roared hoarsely, and the footsteps stopped abruptly. As the mist dissipated, a dark figure stood starkly in the woods, as straight as a pillar, its eyes fixed on his face without blinking.

Li Kui swallowed hard, his saliva dry, and forced himself to take a few more steps forward.

"Who are you? Are you perhaps one of the people who have suffered? If so, just speak up. I am a patrolman from Tianyong City, and I have come here specifically to find the missing person." His voice was tense, but he deliberately kept it steady.

The dark shadow remained motionless, not even its eyelids twitched. Li Kui's throat tightened, and he dared not take another step—was this thing human or a demon? If it was truly a demon in disguise, he feared he would lose his life here today.

But demons are always ferocious and terrifying, how could they be so quiet and disguised as ordinary people? He breathed a slight sigh of relief, and tentatively approached again, saying slowly as he walked, "Don't be afraid, I am a guard of Tianyong City. Even if the sky falls, I will protect you."

He spoke softly and soothingly as he slowly approached. Finally, a sliver of pale moonlight slanted through the trees and unexpectedly shone on the man's face—

Li Kui shuddered, his blood freezing instantly. His pupils shrank to two black beans, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.

Good heavens! That's not a human face! The entire face looks like it's been branded by a red-hot iron mesh, crisscrossed with old, raised, purplish-black scars, and grayish-white worms wriggle and crawl across the festering flesh from the crevices of the scars.

This is not a human, but an evil creature in human skin! Yet its posture and shape are remarkably similar to those of a living person.

Even more horrifying were its limbs—long, twisted, with reversible joints, resembling the segmented limbs of a giant spider; and then, with a "click," several equally long, slender claws sprang out from behind, gleaming with a cold, bluish-gray light.

"Heh... Hahaha..."

A strange laugh rolled out from deep within its throat, sticky, broken, and out of tune, making one's eardrums ache and chills run down one's spine.

Li Kui's legs went weak, and his knees almost hit the muddy ground. He bit his tongue to keep going, then turned and ran away!

But he was fast, and the thing was even faster—with a few leaps, its spider legs bounced on the tree trunk with a "slap slap" sound, and in the blink of an eye, it was behind him; it climbed everywhere, stuck to every branch, bark, and canopy, and surrounded him tightly in the center.

A metallic taste rose in Li Kui's throat, and just as despair surged up, a piercing scream was caught in his throat—those sharp spider limbs sprang up like venomous snakes, aiming straight for his eyes!

He could even see the cold glint in his limbs, as if the sharp tips would pierce his eye sockets, shatter his brain, and nail him to this desolate forest in the next instant.

Just as he collapsed to his knees in the mud, utterly terrified, a silver streak pierced the sky! Fast as thunder, swift as lightning—

"Clang!"

The sword light exploded, and a rainbow of seven colors burst forth, dazzlingly bright. By the time Li Kui regained his senses, the spider demon had already fallen askew, its neck severed at the root, black blood gushing out.

He stared blankly at the back of the figure blocking his way, then looked up—good heavens, it was a handsome young man with delicate features.

Li Kui stared intently at the other person's face: This face was so tender it looked like it could be pinched to release water, clearly a greenhorn who had never left the city gates, how could he have ventured into this godforsaken place alone?

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he suddenly realized—he didn't have time to think about that right now.

My life was just pulled back from the brink of death.

He suddenly looked up, his face deathly pale, his pupils shrinking. Lin Daochen also turned his head at that moment, his gaze falling on his face like a cold spring.

"Brother, just now... it was you who saved me?" Li Kui blurted out, his voice still trembling with fear. Lin Daochen didn't answer, but just stared at him quietly, his eyes warm yet distant; after a moment, he slowly raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the withered trees, broken vines, and swirling mist like a blade, as if trying to discern some hidden trace.

After he withdrew his gaze, he turned to Li Kui, his tone low and crisp: "No matter who you are, this is not a place to stay—leave immediately."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and walked away, his steps seemingly casual, yet surprisingly fast. Li Kui stood there, stunned, his heart pounding: That back view... wasn't that the young man who left the city the other day?

He looked again, and sure enough, it was true! Lin Daochen's sharp brows and upright posture were too eye-catching in this day and age—he was unbelievably handsome and coldly aloof, making it hard to mistake him.

Without a word, Li Kui took off after him. But Lin Daochen walked seemingly leisurely, yet in reality, he moved as if on the wind, his figure flashing through the forest. He ran with all his might, his lungs burning, his legs trembling, until his throat tasted sweet, and then a clear, melodious voice came from ahead:

"Why have you been so persistent? You just saw it for yourself—following me will only lead to your demise. If you want to live, turn back now. I've cleared the path we came from; you'll be safe going back now."

Li Kui, not even bothering to catch his breath, rushed forward, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white, his voice resolute: "Absolutely no turning back! Having followed me this far, I had no intention of retreating alive—if I were afraid of death, I wouldn't have come in the first place!"

Lin Daochen frowned slightly: "Why must it be this way? Is there something more important than your life, something worth gambling with?"

Li Kui's Adam's apple bobbed, his eyes lowered, and his voice deepened: "These words... I can't explain them clearly. But I must go with you. You're going to the Netherworld Village, aren't you? To me, it's not a village, but an inescapable nightmare—I have to uncover it with my own hands."

Lin Daochen's gaze sharpened, a slight tremor running through him: Nightmare? Could it be that someone else was trapped in Youming Village too? He shook his head, his tone even colder: "I won't ask about your past. But this journey is fraught with peril. If you insist on going, you'll have to etch the word 'death' into your very bones—I won't give you a second glance on the road."

Before he could finish speaking, Li Kui's face suddenly turned pale, and his shoulders tensed almost imperceptibly—Lin Daochen thought he was going to back down, so he immediately turned to leave.

He had barely taken half a step when footsteps behind him came rushing in like drums. He shook his head helplessly, stopped, and turned around: "Fine. If you want to come, then come. Let me make this clear: if you die on the way, you can't blame heaven or anyone else. Just close your eyes and accept it."

"Of course!" Li Kui straightened his back and said, enunciating each word clearly, "If I dared to come, I've never been afraid of death. Just keep going, and I won't hold you back in the slightest when we reach Youming Village."

After saying that, he shut his mouth and didn't say another word. This was the first time Lin Daochen had encountered such a stubborn person, and he felt a strange interest in him. He didn't say anything more and quickened his pace towards Youming Village.