Chapter 43: The Vanishing Corpses

Huang Jiu is a troublemaker, but the five people are no fools. After noticing the surrounding mist, they didn't immediately chase after us. The leader pulled a wooden carving out of his pocket, gestured over it, and then threw it towards the direction where Uncle had fled. As soon as it hit the ground, a cloud of black mist emerged, revealing a fierce wolf with glowing green eyes. It leaped into the mist with a bound.

Three of the five followed the wolf into the mist, and I felt a sense of dread. "Looking through the fog" may only deceive the eyes, but this mechanical beast could not only be controlled by the mind but also had an independent ability to track scent. Once it entered the mist, no matter how familiar Uncle was with the formation, it would be difficult to escape its pursuit.

Seeing that only the man who had previously attacked me and another person remained below, I didn't hesitate and crouched low to approach. As I got closer, I felt a buzzing sensation from the bloodthirsty dagger hanging at my waist, almost urging me to draw it out. However, I didn't think it was necessary just yet and decided to get a little closer first.

The two men were so focused on listening to the sounds coming from the mist that they didn't notice me closing in, and I was within three steps of them. Taking a deep breath, I concentrated the Dao energy into my fist and struck the back of the man who had attacked me earlier.

But the moment I moved, he seemed to have eyes on the back of his head. He grabbed my fist with his other hand and kicked me in the ribs, causing a sharp pain that made me double over in agony.

"Little bastard, I've been waiting for you," he sneered, gripping my fist and pushing down, trying to pin me to the ground. "I told you, the big one's here, the little one must be nearby."

"Big Brother, you said this kid has Dao Qi. Let me take him down first," said the other man, stepping forward and grabbing my collar, preparing to punch me in the stomach.

His punch was powerful, but when it landed, it was devoid of force. I grabbed his pants waistband to prevent him from falling. The middle-aged man who had attacked me earlier noticed his partner hadn't moved and asked, "Old Three, what are you doing? I told you to cripple him, why are you hugging him?"

Unfortunately, the man who had grabbed my collar couldn't answer. As soon as he lifted me by the collar, my bloodthirsty dagger had already pierced his heart. In that instant, I didn't think about fear but focused solely on how to deal with the next target.

Hearing two shouts, the middle-aged man who had previously attacked me realized something was wrong. However, he was cautious and didn't come over directly. Instead, he pulled out a wooden carving, mumbled something under his breath, gestured over it, then crouched down and placed the carving on the ground. A black mist exploded from the carving, revealing a black qilin.

At that moment, I shoved the man holding me away, pulled out the bloodthirsty dagger, and a stream of hot blood sprayed onto me. I didn't have time to consider what it was. The black qilin leapt at me with its huge claws, aiming to pin me to the ground once again.

But just as it descended, my bloodthirsty dagger stabbed out. Illusions may not know fear, but that didn't mean they could withstand the dagger. The moment the dagger made contact, I heard the familiar sound of a battle charge.

Bang! 

There was a clear sound as the black qilin's massive form exploded. The man controlling it coughed up a large mouthful of blood.

I didn't expect this outcome, and I seized the opportunity. As he staggered, I quickly dashed up to him and plunged the dagger into his heart. This time, I could hear the dagger cutting through flesh and see the contorted expression on his face. It was astounding how fragile the human body was under a sharp weapon.

But then I remembered Uncle and quickly yanked the dagger out, running towards the mechanical wolf carving. I resisted the urge to crush it underfoot and instead used my Dao Qi to focus on my fingertips, stabbing at it directly. 

The backlash was far worse than if I had simply stomped on it, but I pushed through the pain, forcing the Dao Qi to destroy the mechanism's runes and the lingering energy of its creator.

At the same time, the wolf collapsed, and a muffled groan came from within the mist. I followed the sound and found a man, his back turned, spitting blood. 

I moved silently, my bloodthirsty dagger striking directly into his back. He didn't even have time to scream before collapsing, lifeless.

At that moment, the sound of fighting came from the small building to the south. I rushed over, only to see Uncle slap a talisman onto a man's forehead. The talisman exploded, scattering the man's soul into fragments.

There was one left. When he saw me approaching with my bloodthirsty dagger, he assumed I had already killed the others. He immediately knelt, begging for mercy. 

He wasn't wrong; all three of his companions had already died by my hand. But looking at him, kneeling and crying, neither Uncle nor I had the heart to strike.

Before we could question him, he confessed to the murder of Tingting's mother and many others—over a dozen lives in total. For the sake of money, these five were truly wicked.

I clenched my teeth, filled with anger, and felt that putting them down quickly had been too merciful. Uncle grabbed the man and ordered him to lead the way to the blood axe.

Upstairs, the sight was chaotic—dirty bedding, cigarette butts, and beer bottles scattered everywhere, emitting a pungent stench. 

Uncle found a green canvas bag and opened it, releasing a powerful stench of corpse energy. I quickly waved my bloodthirsty dagger to dispel it. Inside the box was a small, blood-red axe the size of a palm.

After examining it, Uncle confirmed it was the blood axe we were looking for. He turned to the man and asked, "Apart from the little girl, how many others did you use this to harm?"

The man hesitated but quickly responded, "Not many, just about thirty or forty."

Uncle's expression remained calm. He handed the box containing the blood axe to me and said, "You and Huang Jiu go downstairs and wait for me."

I had just reached the bottom floor when I heard a scream from upstairs. A few seconds later, flames erupted, only to be extinguished quickly. Then, Uncle came down, holding several black talismans in one hand and a bag in the other. As he passed me, he handed the bag over.

When I opened it, I found the dowry of a woman's corpse inside. I sifted through it—nothing was missing.

Curious about how Uncle would deal with the aftermath, I followed him upstairs, just in time to see him perform a final ritual on a corpse lying on the floor. He placed a black talisman on the body, and as soon as it made contact, dark red flames erupted. In less than half a minute, the corpse completely vanished without a trace.