Lao Qifeng’s voice was low, echoing through the alley.
Everyone felt a chill.
Miao Jiang, far from the Central Plains, has always had customs different from those of the Central Plains since ancient times. In Great Shuo, it was only under loose control and did not mix with Han people; there was little daily interaction or trade.
Moreover, after that incident fifteen years ago, Miao Jiang almost became a forbidden zone. If you entered without reason, setting aside whether you would be harmed by Witchcraft, it was likely that Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) would come to interrogate you in a few days.
Therefore, even though everyone present was active in the Southern Martial World, and many were in Huguang, not far from Miao Jiang, their understanding of Miao Jiang and the Miao people was quite limited.
The less they understood, the more their imaginations ran wild.
After a while, the Sect Leader of Qingcheng spoke, “Chief Lao, are you perhaps overthinking it?”
“Sacrificing livestock is something we also do in the Central Plains. It doesn’t necessarily mean human sacrifice will occur.”
Lao Qifeng sighed, “Alright, it’s best if I’m overthinking it. It’s just that Witchcraft is prevalent in Miao Jiang, bloody and eerie, and the proportion of flesh and blood or live sacrifices appearing there is not low. It’s also common for Witchcraft to appear in the Miao King’s Tomb.”
“Anyway, there’s only one path forward, and we’ll naturally know the outcome later.”
The others had no other path either, so they steeled themselves, lit torches for caution, and carefully moved forward.
Li Miao and the other two were still at the very back.
After walking about one or two hundred meters forward, everyone stopped.
Lao Qifeng’s conjecture was confirmed.
On both sides of the walls, human skeletons appeared.
Those skeletons were not even scattered; they were complete, one by one, in various poses, and some even had hand bones extending out of the wall, revealing a few finger joints.
It was as if they had been alive when they were poured into the wall, struggling to extend a hand before being suffocated inside.
No one spoke.
Martial arts masters fear no blood, no swords and blades. But encountering such a situation, they couldn’t help but feel a chill in their hearts.
A moment later, someone stepped forward.
Everyone silently followed. After walking a bit further, their hearts sank deeper and deeper.
The skeletons on the wall were distributed at a fixed distance, roughly between two and three zhang. These skeletons corresponded to the sizes of animals, arranged from small to large, which was how Lao Qifeng was able to deduce that “there might be human skeletons further on.”
According to the previous pattern, after human skeletons, there should be skeletons of larger livestock like cattle and horses.
But there weren't.
After the human skeletons were composite skeletons: goat heads on human bodies, human bodies with goat hooves, human heads with goat horns.
All were grotesque in form, as if alive, with limbs extending from the wall, seemingly trying to grab everyone’s sleeves and drag them into the wall.
Lao Qifeng was silent for a moment, then gave a bitter smile, “I guessed wrong.”
“From the looks of it, the skeletons further on are probably mixed human and other livestock remains.”
“Human-goat, human-pig, human-dog, human-chicken, human-rat…”
“From the stone wall to here, it’s from small to large. Further on, it should be from large to small. When we reach the place where human and rat skeletons are mixed, we should be at the end of this path.”
No one responded to him; even Lao Qifeng was merely speaking to relieve his inner emotions.
Everyone continued forward, and the condition of the two walls was exactly as Lao Qifeng had conjectured.
Everyone present was a martial arts master, at least second-rate. At this moment, they subconsciously quickened their pace and reached the end of the path in no time.
What greeted them was a double-leaf stone door, with no mechanisms around it.
Lao Qifeng looked for a while, then turned to Li Miao, who had been leisurely following behind, occasionally chatting and laughing with Yongjie and Yin Minjun.
“Li Daxia, would it be convenient for you to come and see what mechanism this is and if it can be opened?”
Li Miao smiled when he heard the call, “Chief Lao, there’s no mechanism, it’s just a stone door that can be pushed open easily.”
“The alley is narrow, so I won’t squeeze through. You can just push it open.”
Lao Qifeng originally didn’t want to open this door himself.
Judging by the previous situation, this place was extremely sinister, and it was uncertain if the first person to open the door would encounter something. That’s why he used the excuse of a mechanism, hoping to have Li Miao open the door.
But Li Miao declined, clearly seeing through his intention.
Previously, Lao Qifeng had given orders multiple times, subtly establishing a leading position among the group. If he didn’t act now and forced someone else to open the door, all his previous efforts might be in vain.
Thinking of this, Lao Qifeng gritted his teeth, circulated his body-tempering cultivation technique, and sent his internal energy to his feet, ready to dodge at any moment.
Only then did he reach out and press on the stone door, beginning to push with force.
Rumble—
The stone door made a sound and slowly opened a crack.
Apart from the musty smell and dust that wafted out, there was no other anomaly.
Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief and Lao Qifeng also slightly relaxed.
A sudden change occurred!
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“Ah!!”
A scream suddenly erupted from the crowd!
Lao Qifeng turned his head sharply, looking in the direction of the sound.
He saw a Qingcheng Sect disciple lying on the ground, groaning in pain, with both hands covering his ankle.
Dark green blood was continuously gushing from between his fingers!
The Sect Leader of Qingcheng flashed forward, pointing a finger at the disciple’s neck, intending to subdue him first and then examine his injury.
But who would have thought, as soon as his fingertip reached the disciple, the disciple suddenly lost all sound.
He had lost his life in an instant!
“What happened, who saw it!?”
In a hurry, Lao Qifeng suddenly shouted.
He recognized this Qingcheng Sect disciple; he was considered the weakest in martial arts among the group.
But, even if he was the weakest, he was a genuine second-rate master from a major sect! Even if Lao Qifeng himself acted, it would take three to five moves to take him down!
How could he just groan in pain, struggle on the ground for only three or four breaths, and then easily lose his life!?
This Miao King's Tomb was indeed sinister! He should have deliberated carefully before coming in!
The Sect Leader of Qingcheng’s hand had not yet retracted; he was stunned.
Second-rate disciples were the backbone of a sect. Now, one had died inexplicably, right before his eyes. How could he not be heartbroken and furious?
Just as he was still in a daze, in an instant, a figure appeared in front of him.
Roar!—
Crack—
Thud.
Three sounds overlapped.
The Sect Leader of Qingcheng retreated.
In that instant, the deceased Qingcheng Sect disciple suddenly sat up and bit at his finger!
He was not injured because someone beside him had slapped his hand away, causing the disciple’s teeth to bite nothing but air. There was even a “crack” sound of teeth colliding.
He looked up at the person who had slapped his hand away; it was Li Miao.
“Tsk, there’s more.”
Li Miao looked at the corpse and swung a punch at its head.