Republic of China era: A hundred-year-old still practicing martial arts? Is that right?

After he finished speaking, without waiting for anyone to persuade him further, he took a step and darted into the dense forest, disappearing in a few leaps.

The deeper you go, the stronger the stench becomes.

The fallen leaves on the ground slowly changed color, turning black and sticky, and felt soft and squishy when stepped on, like stepping on rotten flesh.

The chirping of insects, which had faded away, gradually returned to normal as Lin Ji stepped into the forest.

But the sound was not like normal noise.

It was the constant buzzing of flies, a sound that grew louder and louder as Lin Ji ventured deeper into the dense forest.

Lin Ji frowned and held his breath.

After walking about a hundred feet, my legs suddenly gave way.

He looked down and his stomach churned instantly.

On the ground lay a highly decomposed corpse, submerged in black water. The flesh had liquefied, and countless white maggots swarmed inside, a sight that sent chills down one's spine.

There is more than one.

Several corpses lay scattered around the tree roots and in the grass, in varying degrees of decomposition. Some were still recognizable as being dressed in the clothes of the Gu family members, while others were reduced to mere skeletons.

As the image of that monster flashed through Lin Ji's mind, he couldn't help but think of something disgusting.

Are these the monster's "food reserves"?

Just as the thought crossed Lin Ji's mind, a "whoosh" sound came from above his head.

He looked up sharply.

Above the tree canopy, a large, dark mass poured down on him, carrying a pungent, fishy stench, raining down on him.

They're maggots!

Clumps of maggots mixed with putrid liquid poured down from the trees, densely packed and covering the sky.

"plague."

Two words instantly popped into Lin Ji's mind.

This thing spreads the plague more directly than the plague magic of the Ironwood Bell.

He shifted his feet, using the Shadow Chasing Technique to its fullest extent, his figure weaving through the rain of maggots. His long blue robe swept across the putrid liquid, yet not a drop touched his body.

But the rain of maggots never stopped, and rotten liquid kept dripping from the surrounding trees, like an invisible net, slowly encircling him.

The other party had no intention of engaging him in a direct confrontation.

Lin Ji's eyes darkened, and he activated the black and white jade pendant with all his might. The pungent, putrid smell surrounding him entered Lin Ji's mind. He suppressed the urge to vomit and scanned the dense forest.

Sure enough, three breaths later, a very faint rustling sound came from the grass on the left.

It's now!

"I've found you."

Lin Ji let out a low shout, twisted his wrist, and the Mountain and River Stabilizing Spear, with the sound of wind breaking, pierced straight into the depths of the grass!

The spear tip pierced through the grass, heading straight for that figure.

Just as it was about to hit, a pale, rough hand emerged from the grass and precisely gripped the gun barrel.

"Um?"

Lin Ji frowned and suddenly increased the force in his hand, but the gun barrel was as if it were clamped by iron clamps and did not move at all.

He stared intently.

A woman stood in the grass, dressed in coarse cloth. She was a head taller than the average man, with a straight figure, pale skin, and surprisingly, a fairly decent appearance.

It was spotless, without a trace of putrid smell.

If it weren't for the half-exposed, distorted profile of a man revealed through her open neckline, Lin Ji would have almost thought he had the wrong person.

Is this the two-headed freak?

"You've got some skills."

The woman didn't speak, but the head on her chest grinned and emitted a high-pitched, thin sound.

As soon as she finished speaking, she flung her hand away abruptly.

A tremendous force traveled along the gun barrel, causing Lin Ji to stagger back two steps, his hand slightly numb.

There's no power in this force?

Can one rival a martial artist at the peak of internal strength simply by relying on brute force?

Just as Lin Ji regained his footing, a sudden gust of wind arose overhead.

He looked up and saw a bloated, rotting corpse fall from the tree, carrying a foul stench, and crash straight into his face!

They were too close, and the putrid liquid was splashing everywhere; there was nowhere to retreat.

Lin Ji gritted his teeth, and his Yin and Yang energies circulated wildly as he prepared to activate "Hidden Dragon Abyss".

At this critical moment.

"boom--!!"

A loud bang suddenly exploded behind us!

Flames shot into the sky, and shockwaves carrying debris rushed towards them, forcefully hurling the rotting corpses away.

Amidst the raging flames, a figure in black stood steadily on a tree trunk, carrying a half-person-high iron box on his back and a smoking cylinder in his hand. The man's resolute face appeared particularly ferocious in the firelight.

The shockwave, carrying a putrid stench, rushed towards him. Lin Ji used the recoil from the explosion to propel himself backward several feet before landing steadily on the ground.

He looked up at the firelight and saw a figure in black standing with a knife in hand—it was Gu Xuan.

"Mr. Lin, the young master sent me to meet you."

Gu Xuan's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper being rubbed. As soon as he finished speaking, another figure darted out from under the tree trunk. It was Gu Yanzhao.

"Uncle Lin! Where's Senior Li? Are the brothers alright?" Gu Yanzhao rushed over, his face full of anxiety. He glanced at the surrounding rotting corpses, and his expression instantly darkened: "What the hell is this?"

"Let's get out of here. This isn't the place to talk." Lin Ji picked up his gun and turned to leave: "That thing is very strange. It can spread plague. Staying here any longer will only lead to trouble."

Without saying a word, Gu Xuan took out two more black balls from the iron box and threw them into the bushes behind him.

"Boom!"

Two more explosions rang out, and the flames illuminated the entire dense forest.

"I blew up its pile of rotting corpses; that should hold it off for a while," Gu Xuan said in a deep voice. "Let's go."

The three hurried back and soon returned to their temporary camp.

Gu Hu and the others were nervously peering around, clutching their knives, when they saw Lin Ji return with Gu Yanzhao and a ferocious-looking man, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Young Master!"

"Young Master, you've finally arrived!"

The Gu family members gathered around, their faces beaming with joy.

Gu Yanzhao waved his hand and quickly walked to the stretcher. Seeing Li Shuwen's pale face, his heart sank: "Senior Li, are you alright?"

"He won't die." Li Shuwen smirked. "Where's Gu Feng? Why did he let you out? How's it going in the city?"

"Things aren't going well in the city." Gu Yanzhao's expression was grave.

"He Ze has gotten involved with Jiang Baichuan and Yan Songshan, and he might make a move against the Gu family. My father told me to bring Uncle Gu Xuan out to meet you first."

As he spoke, he looked at Lin Ji again, his tone tinged with guilt:

"Uncle Lin, we should have treated you well, but instead you've been made to suffer."

"You're too kind." Lin Ji shook his head, his gaze fixed on the direction from which the explosion had originated.

"Stop talking now, that thing won't hold out for long, it'll be here soon."

As if to confirm his words, a sharp whistle came from the depths of the dense forest as soon as he finished speaking.

It was sharp and thin, sounding like both crying and laughing, making one's scalp tingle.

It's that head on the chest.

"They're here." Gu Hu gripped his knife tightly in an instant.

"You take your men and go first, retreat to the south of the ruins." Lin Ji turned around, brandishing his spear: "Gu Xuan and I will cover the rear."

Gu Yanzhao gritted his teeth and finally nodded: "Alright! Be careful, see you at the abandoned mine!"

He dared not delay and immediately told everyone to pack their things, carry Li Shuwen, and quickly retreat into the depths of the dense forest.