Chapter 13: Trapped Within the Jar

The boy hesitated, his wide eyes darting over the forest of sword scabbards strapped to the cultivators' backs. Then, without a word, he spun on his heel and bolted, small feet kicking up dust as he vanished around a crooked mud-brick hut.

"Hey! Wait!" A disciple lunged forward, ready to give chase.

"Stop." Gu Qingxi's voice cut through the air, cool and decisive. "Chasing him will only confirm their fear. We have our clue."

"Clue?" The disciple blinked, bewildered. "What clue?"

"Evil festers here," Gu Qingxi stated, her gaze sweeping the shuttered windows and barred doors lining the narrow dirt path. "Something preys upon this village. Cultivators came before us to purge it… and failed. Our task is clear: find the source of this corruption and eradicate it. Then, the trial ends."

Murmurs rippled through the group. Some looked at Gu Qingxi with newfound respect. Others shifted uncomfortably, resentment simmering beneath the surface. The sword-bearing girl's eyes narrowed into venomous slits as she glared at Gu Qingxi – the mantle of leadership she'd briefly felt was hers had been snatched away in moments!

"Let's search the village," someone suggested.

The group agreed, filing past the weathered wooden archway marking the village boundary.

The moment Gu Qingxi crossed the threshold, the air thickened. The sky seemed to press down, a leaden grey canopy trapping the village in perpetual twilight. A suffocating weight settled on her chest, as if she'd stepped into a sealed tomb. She scanned the faces around her; the others showed no sign of discomfort, oblivious to the oppressive shift.

Heh. Array's active. Wuling Laozu's voice slithered into her mind, thick with malicious glee. Gahahaha! Locked in like rats! How's the taste of being the trapped prey, Little Ancestor? Delicious, isn't it?

"Not my imagination, then," Gu Qingxi thought back, her internal voice tight. "This pressure… like stepping into a sealed coffin."

Exactly! A cage array! Perfectly set! You fools walked right into the snare! His spectral cackle echoed, a grating sound of pure schadenfreude.

The village itself amplified the unease. Villagers scurrying along the paths froze like startled deer at the sight of the cultivators. Faces blanched, eyes wide with terror and something deeper, darker – a visceral hatred. Doors slammed shut, bolts thrown with frantic haste. The few souls caught outside ducked into alleys or behind water jars, vanishing like smoke.

"Do we look like flesh-eating demons?"

"Why run? We're here to help!"

"This is absurd!"

Low grumbles of frustration rose from the group.

Xu Baozhu sidled closer to Gu Qingxi, whispering, "Qingxi, why are they like this?"

"They fear we bring disaster," Gu Qingxi murmured back. "Remember those old tales? The righteous knight defeats the local tyrant, only for the innkeeper to curse him and drive him away. Why?"

"Because the knight leaves," Baozhu breathed, understanding dawning, "and the tyrant returns, fiercer than ever! They fear us because past cultivators tried to help… failed… and made their suffering worse!"

"Exactly." Gu Qingxi gave a small, approving nod.

"So the evil here is powerful!" Baozhu's eyes widened. "That boy implied multiple groups of cultivators… all perished!"

Gu Qingxi confirmed with a silent incline of her head.

Their exchange wasn't lost on the others. Respect solidified in many gazes fixed on Gu Qingxi.

"Lady Gu!" A young man with thick brows and steady eyes stepped forward, clasping his fists respectfully. He looked about twenty, radiating a grounded strength despite lacking the refined aura of Qi cultivation. "This humble one is Xue Mingbai. This trial demands unity to protect these villagers. Your insight is clear. Xue Mingbai is willing to follow your lead!" His declaration was firm; he'd clearly identified Gu Qingxi as the key to navigating this peril.

"Brother Xue is too kind." Gu Qingxi returned the gesture. She then raised a hand, pointing back towards the village entrance. "I am Gu Qingxi. Upon entering, I sensed an anomaly – we are trapped within an array. One that likely permits entry… but denies exit."

"Preposterous!" The sword-bearing girl seized her moment, her voice sharp with derision. "You decree an array exists, and we must believe? Spreading fear to seize command? If you're wrong, you doom us all!" She spat the words, striding purposefully towards the village boundary, intent on proving Gu Qingxi a fraud by simply walking out.

Gu Qingxi ignored her, her focus shifting deeper into the silent, hostile village. Pleading for information was futile; the villagers' terror was a wall thicker than stone. Clues must be sought independently. She moved forward. Xu Baozhu and Xue Mingbai fell in step immediately. Most of the group followed suit. A handful hesitated, eyes flicking between Gu Qingxi and the retreating figure of the sword-bearing girl.

The girl reached the worn stone marker at the village edge. She planted her foot, pushing forward—

THUD!

An invisible, unyielding barrier slammed into her. The impact reverberated through the air. She staggered back, arms windmilling, barely catching herself from sprawling. A livid bruise was already blooming on her forehead.

The hesitation vanished from the remaining stragglers. They quickly merged with Gu Qingxi's group.

The sword-bearing girl stood alone for a moment, face flushed crimson with humiliation and fury. She glared at the backs of the departing cultivators, teeth clenched. Hatred for Gu Qingxi burned hot, but she wasn't a fool. The trial demanded unified action. Solo heroics were suicide. Jaw set, she stalked after them, her expression thunderous.

"Is anyone versed in Array Theory?" Gu Qingxi stopped, her voice carrying clearly in the heavy air. "I propose we split up and search the village perimeter for signs of its construction. Where there is an array, there is a Core and Foundation Nodes. Destroy them, and the architect behind this will be forced to show themselves."

"I have some knowledge!" Xue Mingbai volunteered readily. "I'll take a group east. Who will join me?"

Several hands rose.

"I know the basics!" another disciple called out, quickly gathering a dozen followers.

The sword-bearing girl's face darkened further. "I am also proficient!" she declared, her voice tight. "Who will accompany me south?"

Silence.

Thick, awkward silence pressed down.

Her cheeks burned scarlet.

"Assign a few to go with her," Gu Qingxi said, her tone devoid of inflection. "The trial requires unity. We cooperate." Personal dislike held no weight against the mission's demands.

Reluctantly, a few disciples shuffled forward to stand behind the glowering girl.

She shot Gu Qingxi a look of pure venom before turning sharply and leading her small, sullen contingent towards the southern edge of the village.

"What is wrong with her?!" Xu Baozhu fumed, glaring daggers at the retreating figure. "Qingxi, you just saved her from utter humiliation, and she looks at you like that? I swear, I'd love to knock her teeth out!"