After transmigrating into the body of the protagonist's childhood friend, he was targeted by a

In the end, Jiang Che was forced to take the medicine by Elder Xuanqing, who pinched his nose.

Lin Zhixu finally experienced firsthand just how deadly the "side effect" Jiang Che had mentioned really was.

Not long after the medicine was taken, an indescribable smell filled the inner room, as if something had been simmering in a jar for seven days and seven nights, and then someone had stomped on the lid and smashed it.

Lin Zhixu originally wanted to sit a little longer, but he couldn't stand the smell.

He covered his nose, forced a polite smile, said goodbye to Elder Xuanqing and Jiang Che, and turned to leave.

After leaving Dan Pavilion, his pace quickened, until he almost fled Dan Peak's territory.

Only when he stood on the mountain path outside Danfeng did he dare to let go of his hands and take a deep breath.

The mountain breeze was crisp and clear, carrying the scents of grass and pine. The moment it filled his lungs, he felt a dazed sense of "it's so good to be able to breathe."

I won't come next time.

...unless Jiang Che stops taking his medication.

……

In the days that followed, Lin Zhixu was not idle.

After resting for two days, he and the other disciples took on the sect's extermination mission and began traveling around.

Only then did he realize how chaotic things were outside.

In just a few months, the number of heretical practitioners has increased several times over.

And the so-called heretical practitioners are far more than just one type of person.

Some were ordinary people who had nowhere else to turn. Bewitched by demonic energy, they learned some evil spells and then started causing trouble everywhere.

Some cultivators are unstable in their minds and suffer from qi deviation during their cultivation, thus falling into evil ways.

Some monsters even acquired evil magic, transforming into half-human, half-beast forms with immense strength, ferocity, and bloodlust.

They either gathered in small groups or became mountain bandits, plundering villages and towns, and slaughtering the people, each with increasingly ruthless methods.

Lin Zhixu and his fellow disciples would often finish clearing out one batch, only for new ones to sprout up again within a few days, like weeds that would grow back after being cut down, seemingly impossible to eradicate.

The major sects are already getting restless.

They all dispatched their elite forces to search for the lair of the heretical cultivators.

The operation to wipe out the enemy was extremely large-scale, with sword flashes visible everywhere as disciples from various sects hurried by.

Battlefields were everywhere—in the mountains, outside cities, and beside deserted villages.

Today this sect wipes out a den of evil cultivators, tomorrow that aristocratic family clears out a mountain forest teeming with evil energy.

The news was flying around like snowflakes, with no end in sight.

No one knows how long this chaos will last.

Yu Linzhou has also gone into seclusion; it seems the backlash from last time still had a significant impact on him.

Moreover, he and Luo Yiyan had not seen each other since their unpleasant encounter at the inn.

The Tianheng Sect is ridiculously large; unless you specifically seek it out, it's actually quite difficult to bump into someone in the vast sea of ​​people.

In addition, with the rampant spread of evil cultivators, everyone in the sect is too busy to spare any time to deal with personal grudges.

That day, Lin Zhixu received a mission to follow a group of disciples to a remote village to capture evil cultivators.

It is said that the evil cultivator has harmed many people, especially those who enjoy drinking blood, and he specifically targets young children and young men and women.

I heard that his cultivation level isn't high, but he has mastered an elusive and unpredictable escape technique, making him extremely difficult to capture.

Having finally received news of him, the sect immediately sent people over.

The team leader this time is Cheng Yan, the Golden Core stage disciple who was trapped in the ruins with Lin Zhixu three years ago.

Regardless, he is still a Golden Core cultivator, so everyone feels more at ease having him lead the team.

When everyone arrived at their destination, they were all stunned for a moment.

The village was not nearly as dilapidated and desolate as I had imagined.

The ridges in the fields were neat and orderly, and many people were still working in the fields with their heads down.

A few wisps of smoke drifted in the distance, and at first glance, they looked no different from ordinary village houses.

But everyone quickly realized something was wrong.

The way those people worked was too stiff. They hoeed the ground, repeating the same thing mechanically, without looking up. They didn't chat like ordinary farmers and neighbors.

His face was numb, as if his soul had been ripped out.

Even when outsiders came, no one came over; they continued their work numbly.

The whole village was lifeless, like a stagnant pool.

Cheng Yan frowned, glanced around the crowd, picked out the oldest-looking man, and stepped forward.

He began, "Old man, I've heard this area is rather unsafe, with evil cultivators often appearing. How come you seem perfectly fine, still busy in the fields?"

The old man slowly raised his head, his cloudy eyes lingering on his face for a moment before glancing at the crowd behind him.

Seeing that these people all had extraordinary bearing, the old man's body suddenly trembled, and a glimmer of excitement suddenly welled up in his lifeless eyes.

"Who are you...?"

Cheng Yan proudly declared, "We are Tianheng..."

Cheng Yan had only uttered half a sentence when the old man's expression suddenly changed. As if realizing something, he looked around frantically, his lips trembling as he interrupted him, "Don't say it! Don't say it here!"

He lowered his voice, his tone urgent, as if afraid of being overheard: "I don't know who you are, and I don't care who you are, I just beg you... please save our village!"

Everyone looked at each other.

Since the old man had asked for help, there must be danger here, but the scene in the village left them confused about the situation.

The old man said quickly in a low voice, "There really is a demon in this village. Every night he grabs someone and bleeds them, especially young children. He says that only by making us come out to work will the blood be fresher."

"We were forced out to work during the day, and at night we would huddle in our rooms waiting for news, waiting for the next unfortunate child to be dragged out."

"Some people couldn't bear it and tried to escape, but they died on the spot. Their deaths were extremely gruesome..."

As he spoke, tears welled in the old man's eyes, his voice filled with hatred and fear: "Our poor children, several of them are gone. How hateful are we old folks, unable to help in any way. We can't bear their suffering for them."

"Moreover, that demon possesses some evil magic, monitoring our every move."

"Fortunately, they can only see, not hear what we're saying. So you mustn't give anything away. Just pretend you're asking for directions, hurry up and leave, and come back to rescue us when you have a way."

The crowd looked grim, but no one dared to show anything after hearing what he said.

Cheng Yan nodded to the old man and led his disciples away first, planning to act later that evening.

As the old man watched their receding figures, a glimmer of hope finally ignited in his heart.

But the other villagers were unaware of the details.

They only saw unfamiliar faces come and go, and the little hope that had just been ignited was quickly extinguished.

They continued to work numbly, as if nothing had happened.

A five- or six-year-old child squatted by the edge of the field and whispered to his mother, "Mommy, weren't those people coming to rescue us?"

The woman covered his mouth, her eyes filled with panic, and tears fell into the mud with a series of pattering sounds.

"Shh, don't talk nonsense, get to work, and go home as soon as you're done!"