Chen Xu used the Spiritual Cicada Jade Robe for divination, and this time he quickly found an answer.

It was probably because his question was clear and not like last time, involving a life-and-death catastrophe for himself, so this divination only consumed most of his True Qi.

"Five miles to the north, twenty miles to the west, take the second road east at the fork..."

Chen Xu noted down the answer, put away the Spiritual Cicada Jade Robe, and felt slightly relieved.

He stepped forward, surrounded by a gentle breeze, and as the Innate Qi flowed in his Dantian, the depleted True Qi began to trickle back like a stream of living water, recovering on its own.

It was May now, the sun rose early and was scorching.

Yet under this sun, a natural coolness surrounded Chen Xu.

Each step he took measured over ten feet, a marvel cause by the poetic effect of "Knight's Journey".

Chen Xu experienced various changes in the application of this poetry, and within half a cup of tea's time, he had traveled five miles.

Heading further west, another twenty miles.

Initially, Chen Xu worried that he might miss the marks left by the little hedgehog by walking too fast, but then, for some reason, he grew more anxious, and his speed unconsciously quickened.

Moving swiftly as the wind, he covered twenty miles in less than a quarter of an hour and reached the fork indicated by the Spiritual Cicada Jade Robe.

It was then that Chen Xu suddenly sensed something unusual in the air.

He paused slightly, his senses expanding, carefully sniffing the air.

There was the smell of blood!

Chen Xu's heart sank as he raised his eyes to observe his surroundings. A sudden slope appeared at his feet, with the silhouette of mountains afar.

Nearby, at the base of the slope, there were unexpectedly five forked paths: two east, three west.

While the view ahead opened up, under the distant mountain shadows he could see crisscrossing paths and fields everywhere.

Villages and houses were scattered throughout, with a wide river winding around the valley and fields, rushing eastward.

The water roared, and even from this unknown distance, Chen Xu could hear the river's tumultuous rushing as he stood on the mountain slope.

This scenery could truly be called magnificent.

The sudden appearance of villages between the mountains easily evoked a sense of unexpected delight, like a village emerging after a bend in the shaded path.

Yet somehow, upon seeing the distant mountains and river, Chen Xu felt not relief, but an indescribable heaviness.

Following the guidance of the Spiritual Cicada Jade Robe, he chose the second eastern path at the base of the slope. After walking a few dozen steps, a very faint rustling sound suddenly came from the bushes ahead.

Like a gentle breeze brushing over branches and leaves, Chen Xu immediately became alert, his gaze shooting sharply like electricity.

"Who's there? Come out!"

The bushes were silent, with an eerie stillness around, as if even the sound of insects had obediently quieted, with only the faint whisper of the wind, as if the mountains were weeping.

Chen Xu began to walk slowly forward, each step seemingly treading on the echo of the wind.

As he walked, an indescribable momentum gradually formed in the small space between heaven and earth.

Suddenly, the sound of a child crying in fright came from behind the bushes.

The next moment, a child's figure, about four feet tall, stumbled out from behind.

He seemed frightened by Chen Xu, trying desperately to run, but his short legs refused to cooperate, causing him to fall again after a few steps.

The child could only sit on the ground in panic, crying out, "No! Don't take Ah Sheng, Ah Sheng will be good, please, don't take Ah Sheng for a sacrifice.

Ah Sheng won't eat, Ah Sheng will work!"

His face was deathly pale, sobbing in panic on the ground like a poor little bird who had been thoroughly bullied.

The kind with broken wings—

His left arm was only half there.

The lower half of his forearm was empty, no trace left.

His appearance, actions, and everything about his behavior only highlighted how pitiful he was at the moment.

Even with a heart of stone, Chen Xu had to pause and ask him, "What sacrifice do you speak of? Who wants to take you as a sacrifice?"

The child stared blankly at him and then suddenly seemed to think of something, a burst of surprise appearing:

"You, you're not from the village? That's right, there's no one like you in the village!

You're from outside, you won't take me as a sacrifice, right?

Big brother, please help me, they want to sacrifice me to the River God..."

As he spoke, his words mixed with cries, wiping tears with his intact right hand, about to say more when suddenly the faint sound of shouting came from the hillside:

"Hurry! That little brat must have run up the mountain, chase this way!"

The child quickly scrambled up, rushing to tug at Chen Xu's wrist.

Chen Xu dodged slightly, the child only managing to grab a corner of his sleeve.

"Big brother, let's go, we need to hide quickly. We can't let them see strangers, or they'll capture you too."

The child pulled at Chen Xu's sleeve, running, and this time Chen Xu didn't resist but instead followed his pull, striding with him towards a small grove beside the steep slope.

No one noticed as Chen Xu silently released his Puppet Daoist Soldier.

The Daoist Soldier, only a foot tall, akin to his shadow, used Invisibility the moment it appeared at his feet.

The stealthy Puppet Daoist Soldier, holding a long spear, leapt nimbly and in a few bounds was on the path Chen Xu originally intended to take.

At the end of the road, a group of villagers armed with hoes and sickles were noisily rushing over.

They shouted, "Search separately, quickly, don't let that little brat escape! If we provoke the River God's anger, everyone will suffer..."

The child clinging to Chen Xu's sleeve trembled with fear, stumbled, and fell again as he led the way.

Chen Xu lifted the child by the collar from behind, lightly tiptoeing, carrying him like a breeze onto the treetops ahead.

Several birds flapped their wings, startled into flight.

The villagers heard the commotion and shouted, "There's activity over there, that little brat must've run into the woods, let's search over there!"

The child curled up next to Chen Xu, becoming even more frightened.

Chen Xu, standing atop the tree crown, gazing down at the villagers rushing by swiftly, was equally taken aback.

He wasn't afraid of the villagers, but rather startled by their appearance and aura.

These running villagers, every single one, moved quickly, far exceeding ordinary human speed.

Some had flushed red faces, puffing as they ran, smoke billowing from their throats as if a stove was venting steam;

Others were emaciated, appearing ready to collapse at any moment, yet their feet struck the ground, carving sharp dents; flesh and blood like steel bodies;

Still others were large-framed, with bellies like drums, and as they ran their stomachs visibly bulged, appearing not purely fat, but more akin to... carrying a fetus in the womb!

It was terrifying.

Reportedly, all these chasing villagers were men.

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