Chapter 54: Secrets of the Village

Yan Rou led the group through the narrow streets of the village, her steps confident and deliberate. The further they went, the more uneasy Tang Xiu felt. The villagers peeked through cracks in their doors, their eyes filled with fear and desperation.

The path ended at a large wooden house, its walls weathered by time. Yan Rou stopped at the door and turned to them. "Before we go in, you must promise me one thing—what you see here must remain a secret. If word gets out, the consequences will be disastrous."

Tang Xiu nodded. "You have my word."

Lei Xian shrugged. "Sure, if it's that serious, we'll keep quiet."

Xu Liang, though hesitant, agreed as well.

Satisfied, Yan Rou pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside.

The room was dimly lit, with faint sunlight streaming through small windows. At the center of the room was a large stone table, and on it lay a young woman, unconscious and pale. Strange markings covered her arms and legs, glowing faintly with an eerie blue light.

Xu Liang gasped. "What… what's wrong with her?"

Yan Rou's expression was grim. "This is my younger sister, Yan Qi. She was cursed a week ago when she stumbled upon an ancient ruin outside the village."

"A curse?" Lei Xian frowned. "That's just a superstition, isn't it?"

Tang Xiu stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as he studied the glowing markings. He extended a hand over her arm, feeling a faint yet chaotic energy pulsing beneath her skin.

"This isn't a curse," he said finally. "It's a seal—an ancient formation meant to suppress something within her. But whoever created it was reckless. The seal is unstable, and if it breaks…"

Yan Rou clenched her fists. "If it breaks, she'll die, won't she?"

Tang Xiu hesitated. "She might, but that's not the worst of it. This kind of formation is often used to trap powerful energies or entities. If it collapses, whatever it's holding back will be unleashed."

Lei Xian whistled. "So, not only do we have a dying girl, but we might also have to deal with something nasty breaking free. Great."

Yan Rou looked at Tang Xiu, her voice trembling with hope. "Can you save her? Please, I'll do anything—just save my sister."

Tang Xiu's mind raced. The formation was crude but intricate, and removing it without proper preparation would be risky. However, leaving it alone wasn't an option either.

"I can try," he said. "But I'll need time to prepare. And I'll need complete silence while I work."

Yan Rou nodded quickly. "You'll have everything you need. Just tell me what to do."

Tang Xiu spent the next hour gathering herbs, powders, and materials from the village. With Yan Rou's help, he found everything he needed to create a makeshift formation to stabilize the seal.

As he worked, Lei Xian leaned against the wall, watching him with curiosity. "You know, you never said where you learned all this. This isn't exactly something they teach in schools."

Tang Xiu smirked but didn't answer. He wasn't about to reveal his true identity or his past.

Xu Liang, on the other hand, was pacing nervously. "Are you sure this will work? What if it goes wrong?"

Tang Xiu didn't look up from his work. "If you're scared, you can wait outside."

Xu Liang stopped pacing but didn't leave.

Finally, Tang Xiu stood, his preparations complete. He placed the materials around Yan Qi in a precise pattern, forming a circular array on the ground. He took a deep breath and turned to Yan Rou.

"Once I start, no one can interrupt. Not even for a second. If anything distracts me, the consequences will be… unpleasant."

Yan Rou nodded, her face pale but determined. "I understand."

Tang Xiu knelt beside Yan Qi and placed his hands on her arms. Closing his eyes, he began to channel his energy into the formation.

The markings on Yan Qi's body reacted immediately, glowing brighter and pulsing erratically. The air around them grew heavy, and the temperature in the room dropped.

Tang Xiu's brows furrowed in concentration. The seal was more unstable than he had anticipated, and it fought against his efforts to stabilize it. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he carefully guided the chaotic energy, redirecting it into the formation he had created.

Outside, the villagers gathered silently, their faces filled with fear and hope.

Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the room, and the air vibrated with an ominous energy. Lei Xian drew his blade instinctively. "What was that?"

Tang Xiu didn't respond. His focus was entirely on the seal, which was now emitting a faint blue mist.

Yan Rou stepped closer to Lei Xian, her voice barely a whisper. "Is this supposed to happen?"

Lei Xian shook his head. "No idea. But if something goes wrong, I'm ready to fight."

Minutes felt like hours as Tang Xiu worked tirelessly, his energy dwindling with each passing second. Just when it seemed like the seal would overpower him, he let out a sharp breath and pushed a final burst of energy into the formation.

The markings on Yan Qi's body faded, and the glow disappeared. The air in the room returned to normal, and Tang Xiu collapsed onto the floor, exhausted but triumphant.

Yan Rou rushed to her sister's side, her hands trembling. "She's breathing… she's alive!"

Tang Xiu sat up slowly, his body aching. "The seal is stable for now, but it's only temporary. You'll need a proper expert to remove it completely."

Yan Rou turned to him, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you. I don't know how to repay you."

Tang Xiu shook his head. "No need for thanks. Just keep her safe and stay away from those ruins."

As the group left the house, Tang Xiu couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. Whatever power had cursed Yan Qi was still out there, and it wouldn't stay hidden for long.