Chapter 39: The Unseen Threat

“Retreat.”

Mo Ya quickly stepped in front of Feng Ling, shielding her behind him.

Before them stood grotesque monsters, their mouths agape, eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty malice.

“Four of them, huh…”

Even Mo Ya felt a surge of tension at the sight of such creatures; to him, these were beings he had never encountered before.

His gaze was laced with wariness, and the Ouroboros tattoo on his arm began to stir.

Their movements awakened alongside the Ouroboros. As if sensing a threat from Mo Ya’s actions, they no longer remained static.

The monsters encircled Mo Ya and Feng Ling from all sides, their footsteps eerily steady. They moved like skilled hunters closing in on their prey, preparing to devour the two who had stumbled into their lair.

“What are these things…?”

Feng Ling quietly released Mo Ya’s hands and pressed herself closer behind him. A sorrowful past had cast a shadow over her childhood, yet it had also unexpectedly granted her the ability to adapt. After a brief moment of terror, Feng Ling quickly grasped the situation.

She began observing areas Mo Ya couldn’t see.

Indeed, without the curse clinging to her, she was merely an ordinary little girl.

Yet, she did not retreat. Ghosts were terrifying, but these creatures were not ghosts. Moreover, nothing was more despair-inducing than being alone again.

‘I will never let them harm him…’

Feng Ling’s face was taut with tension, but she did not budge, standing firm behind Mo Ya.

The monsters roared, no longer intending to test them. Their long-accumulated predatory instincts drove them forward, their blood-red jaws gaping wide.

“Mo Ya, left side!”

Feng Ling screamed, attempting to warn Mo Ya of the monsters’ direction, though Mo Ya had already spotted the incoming creature.

“Understood.”

The black Ouroboros stirred restlessly, and Mo Ya’s pupils were replaced by golden serpent eyes. He swiftly extended his right hand, and black mist condensed on his arm.

The aura of magic burst forth instantly, sending powerful shockwaves that caused the surrounding trees to sway, threatening to collapse at any moment.

The black mist twisted eerily, the Ouroboros slithering and even climbing onto Mo Ya’s face, making his demeanor appear even more sinister. Finally, the mist coalesced into a black serpent that shot forth from his arm.

The monster charged, eager to feel the gush of fresh blood. If it could just sever this man’s neck, it would finally taste the sweet, viscous blood it had longed for.

But in the next instant, its thoughts changed.

A small black serpent erupted from the young man’s body, attaching itself to the monster. The black body of the serpent twisted, opening its fanged mouth.

A searing pain spread through the monster’s entire being, and that was not the end. It was immediately followed by a suffocating, breathless agony.

In the monster’s blood-red eyes, the killing intent gradually dimmed, its pupils becoming hazy.

Its once heavy footsteps now swayed like a drunken traveler, yet due to the immense inertia of its charge, its body toppled before Mo Ya. The last thing it saw, as it twitched, was the young man’s indifferent gaze.

The three monsters behind Mo Ya arrived shortly after. Their companion’s demise did not instill fear in them; they opened their putrid jaws, ready to swallow the young girl behind Mo Ya.

“My apologies, but I have no intention of letting you have them.”

Having dealt with the previous monster, Mo Ya did not relax his guard. He spun around with incredible speed, once again shielding Feng Ling behind him.

“I can fight too…”

Feng Ling mumbled softly, instinctively allowing Mo Ya to protect her.

“How could your tiny frame fight?” Mo Ya chuckled, grabbing the monster that lunged from the middle with one hand and effortlessly slamming it into another monster. His free arm was not idle; black mist condensed in his hand and struck the last charging brute.

The black energy raged, easily taking its life. Like the former, it fell into an eternal slumber upon the earth.

The two monsters Mo Ya had thrown felt stars swirling before their eyes, yet they seemed oblivious to the disparity in power between them. Roaring, they flew through the air towards Mo Ya.

Their speed was astonishing, reaching Mo Ya in an instant.

However, the man showed no sign of fear. His golden serpent eyes stared calmly at them, and only then did the monsters finally feel the dread of death.

Suddenly, an updraft surged from the ground, dark and chilling, silently enveloping the two of them.

Mo Ya slowly turned his head, covering Feng Ling’s eyes.

“What are you doing…?”

“I apologize, but this is not a sight you should witness.”

The black updraft formed a tornado, continuously flinging bloody chunks of flesh into the forest. Mo Ya’s face was splattered with the monsters’ blood.

“It’s fine… I’ve already come to terms with it.” Feng Ling gently pushed away Mo Ya’s hand, revealing the gruesome sight of the dismembered monsters before her.

“It’s horrifying, isn’t it…?”

“Well… it’s, it’s not so bad.” Feng Ling averted her gaze. For her, witnessing such a scene was still too much, too soon.

“After all, you are an ‘Erosion’…”

Feng Ling lifted her head, looking at Mo Ya. A small doubt formed in her young heart.

What had he truly experienced to reach this point?

A flicker of apology crossed Mo Ya’s eyes, yet it was imperceptible due to his serpent pupils.

“Right, you just said I had a tiny frame!”

“And what of it…?”

“You said it, didn’t you!”

“Yes.”

Seeing Feng Ling suddenly enter interrogation mode, Mo Ya could only nod.

“Argh, you’re making me so mad! Even if I have small breasts, you can’t say I can’t fight!”

“…Small breasts?” Mo Ya’s gaze slowly descended, stopping on Feng Ling’s prominently rising… chest.

Feng Ling naturally noticed Mo Ya’s gaze—a flat, disdainful look.

“Don’t be ridiculous! I’ll grow eventually! Just you wait, I’ll suffocate you with these then, believe it or not!” She pointed to her chest, speaking indignantly.

“…Oh.”

Mo Ya’s lips parted slightly, and he nodded.

He walked past Feng Ling and approached the front door of the house.

The house’s main door was secured by an old-fashioned iron lock, even bearing rust stains. Mo Ya reached out, touching the dilapidated, moss-covered door, calmly contemplating. What exactly did that principal mean?

“Hey, are you even listening to me?!”

Feng Ling grumbled, yet still followed closely behind Mo Ya. Despite the solid door separating them, Feng Ling still felt a chill emanating from within the house. Something was in there.

“Um… maybe we should go back.”

She was somewhat afraid, shifting her gaze to Mo Ya. If a supernatural event truly occurred, could he handle it perfectly?

“Wait here. I’ll go in alone. Considering the unknowns inside, you’ll be safer out here.”

“I… I’m not scared! Don’t make decisions for me like that!” Feng Ling shouted, as if doing so could dispel the unease in her heart. “I’m coming too, absolutely!”

Though powerless, though still young, though burdened by sin, this person was still somewhat different from himself.

Feng Ling’s eyes were filled with tears; she truly looked terrified.

Seeing Feng Ling like this, Mo Ya let out a self-deprecating laugh.

If it were her, she wouldn’t make the same decision he did, the decision to personally kill a comrade.

“Alright.”

Mo Ya answered her gently, placing his hand on the door.

Black energy seeped from his palm, adhering to the decaying door.

“Give me, give me… wait!”

From behind, a man’s voice suddenly rang out. Luoyi stumbled out of the woods, disheveled, and came to stand behind Mo Ya. The long run left him gasping for air, and it took him a while to catch his breath.

“You two… you mustn’t open that door.”