Chapter 30: Horror in the Courtyard

Thinking of this, Pei Ling asked Chen Mei, “Senior Sister Chen, how much does it cost for a jar of this wine?”

“Don’t worry, my brother only felt that our cultivation levels are low. It’s a waste to drink both jars of wine now. He would rather keep one first and use it in the future. By then, you will get your share of it.” Chen Mei smiled and comforted him.

Pei Ling couldn’t help but shake his head when he heard this. He suspected that Chen Huan had accepted this letter mission mainly for the spirit wine.

Why would he share such benefits with others?

However, Chen Huan was at the sixth stage of Qi Refinement after all. Pei Ling could not possibly fall out with him over a jar of spirit wine…

“It’s fine. I was just curious,” Pei Ling replied. As he spoke, he took the opportunity to drink a few more cups. This spirit wine could slightly improve his cultivation, so he could not waste the opportunity to drink more of it.

After everyone finished the spirit wine, Pei Ling did not speak further as he lowered his head and ate quietly.

That night, after the banquet. The steward arranged for everyone to rest in the guest courtyard.

The guest courtyard of the City Lord Residence occupies a garden in the southeastern corner alone. The so-called guest rooms were the pavilions that scattered around the rock garden and pond.

Clearly, the steward arranged the accommodation according to the level of their cultivation. However, when it was Pei Ling’s turn, Huang Xian suddenly said, “Junior Brother Pei has just entered the sect not long ago, and he has much to learn. It’s better if he stayed with me and Senior Brother Chen, so it’ll be more convenient for us to teach him.”

The steward was slightly surprised but did not comment on it. “In that case, Young Master Pei Ling, please stay in the small building in the middle.”

Pei Ling was also a little puzzled by Huang Xian’s words. After all, on the way here, although Huang Xian did not ignore him completely, he was neither cold nor warm. On the other hand, Chen Mei was very enthusiastic, having endless things to say every day. It would be reasonable if Chen Huan wanted Pei Ling to stay with him, but why did Huang Xian ask for this?

However, on second thought, maybe it was because Chen Mei was too warm to him that Huang Xian didn’t want him to arrange near Chen Mei?

His mind had been occupied with earning spirit stones, and he was happy to have some peace, so he didn’t say anything.

It was because he hadn’t been able to rest well on the Corpse Cloud these days. After entering the room, he dismissed the maidservant there and fell asleep right after.

However, not long after he fell asleep, a chilling aura woke him up from his dream!

Pei Ling sprung up on the bed. Before he opened his eyes fully, he had already grabbed the Life-Extinguishing Blade by the bedside.

As he looked around vigilantly, he was greeted by the sight of the furniture in the dark. However, there was nothing unusual. It was just that the cold aura was getting more chilling.

The surroundings went unusually quiet. Before Pei Ling slept, insects would chirp incessantly among the luxuriant plants in the small building. However, at this moment, it was complete silence, and he was even able to hear his heartbeat clearly.

Pei Ling was startled. The remnants of his sleepiness swept away instantly.

He sprung to action without much thought. He stomped his feet and slammed into the window not far away. At the same time, he shouted for help, “Senior Brother Chen! Senior Brother Huang!”

His voice echoed in the empty courtyard. Pei Ling flipped over and landed in front of the small building, but he was shocked to find his surroundings had gone silent as if he was alone.

What entered his eyes was not the lively garden when he first entered but a ruined and desolate land.

The floor seemed abandoned for years as a thick layer of dust had accumulated.

The once lush flower bed became ridden with vicious black vines. At a glance, it was sinister, making one avoid it subconsciously.

The sparkling pond became muddled in darkness. The koi in it had also turned into unknown creatures with sharp fins that sliced through the water. As they swam rapidly, it revealed a sense of strangeness and cruelty.

Pei Ling became ever more vigilant as he slowly pulled out the Life-Extinguishing Blade and sized up his surroundings carefully.

Just then, he heard a series of footsteps coming towards him at a steady pace. He looked up but did not see anyone. As he was feeling puzzled, he looked down and gasped. There was a line of footprints winding towards him on the limestone floor covered in thick dust!

It seemed like a child’s tiny footstep. From the looks of it, it was rather endearing.

However, Pei Ling did not find it endearing as he felt his blood run cold.

He held the Life-Extinguishing Blade tightly and watched as the footprint approached. Suddenly, he slashed at it.

“Ah!!!”

A scream of a child, whose gender could not be distinguished, reverberated through the courtyard.

This scream was high-pitched and ear-piercing. Not to mention Chen Huan and Huang Xian, who lived in the left and right pavilions, even Chen Mei and the others, who were farther away, should have awakened from the noise.

However, the surrounding houses were still silent, as if no one had lived in them before.

Pei Ling was bewildered. He did not feel that the Life-Extinguishing Blade had hit anything, but the invisible object had clearly suffered damage. In the next moment, footsteps sounded from all directions.

A scene that gave Pei Ling goosebumps occurred: The ground in the courtyard became filled with children’s footprints.

There were even traces of a baby crawling towards him like a surging wave.

“Ghosts? Spirits?” Pei Ling was shocked. He used the Blood Malevolence Saber Art. As his Qi churned, a bloody light seemed to rise from the gray courtyard. With his body as the center, the Life-Extinguishing Blade drew a huge arc. A bloody fog that was like a veil wrapped around the Life-Extinguishing Blade, slightly illuminating the scene of the square inch area. This time, he felt nothing, but he could see clearly.

Wherever the blood fog moved along with the blade, there were countless translucent children of various sizes. All of them looked to be under the age of ten, but their faces were not as innocent as children of this age should be. Instead, there was indescribable evilness.

Those pairs of eyes looked at Pei Ling. The pupil in their eyes was missing, and their pale gaze was filled with extreme resentment as if Pei Ling was their sworn enemy who had killed them.

Even as they got obliterated like snow melting in heat when the blood mist hit them, their hatred only built up.

“Senior Brother Chen! Senior Brother Huang!” Pei Ling shouted as he slashed around, “Senior Brother Zhang! Senior Sister Xiao! Senior Sister Chen! There’s something strange about this City Lord Residence!”

The surrounding pavilions were deathly silent, except for the courtyard where he lived. The howling screams were endless, and more and more children came rushing toward him.

What is going on?!

Pei Ling called for help again and again but to no avail. He no longer placed his hopes on anyone else’s help and instead thought about his escape plan.

Why was the guest courtyard where the City Lord Residence hosted the disciples of the Deep Sea Sect in such danger?

It was his first time meeting City Lord Duanmu today. He had no grudges with this City Lord.

Perhaps the family of Li Siguang and the other two bribed the Duanmu City Lord?!

No, it shouldn’t be!

Pei Ling quickly denied his own guess since City Lord Duanmu was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. If he wanted to harm Pei Ling, there was no need to use so many tricks. He could have just attacked directly.

However, if there was no problem with City Lord Duanmu, who would dare to play tricks in the residence of this Foundation Establishment cultivator?!