Chapter 1748: Flaw

That's ridiculous! This is their property; they couldn't just leave it to unknown individuals from Companion Hill.

Suddenly, there was a bustling scene of people herding pigs and pulling sheep. It was especially difficult to catch chickens in such a hurry. He Lingchuan saw in several courtyards how adults and children were chasing hens, running wildly, with feathers flying everywhere and dogs barking. It surprisingly added a touch of absurdity to such a terrifying moment.

He Lingchuan immediately said, "Bring Luo Xie here; I have a task for him."

As Luo Xie was the deputy guard captain of the Xuanjing mine, he should be very familiar with the mine tunnels.

But before He Lingchuan's words had even faded, Elder Liu let out a sound of surprise.

"What's wrong?"

"Old Man Luo is back," Elder Liu said, pointing to a figure who had just entered the village from the side. "The one in the blue cloth shirt with the shiny bald head—that's him."

Pang Qi's keeper is here?

Everyone looked down and saw, indeed, a skinny old man quickly entering from the back of the village. Villagers greeted him along the way, but he merely nodded without looking sideways, never breaking his stride.

Luo Xie also went to meet him. "Grandpa, why are you here? Where's A Xiang?"

My younger brother is still small; did Grandpa leave him alone at home?

He Lingchuan's heart stirred. Pointing to the grandfather and grandson, he asked, "Can you let me hear their conversation?"

The village was too noisy and the distance too great. Furthermore, the old man naturally spoke with a weak voice, so He Lingchuan could only hear scattered words carried by the wind at most.

Elder Liu nodded and made a gesture, and the conversation between the two instantly became audible in He Lingchuan's and the others' ears, remarkably clear and free of interference!

"I've asked someone to look after him," said Old Man Luo, his voice hoarse with age. "The village is too chaotic. Help me get a few dozen chicks; I need to lure Pang Qi away. We can't let it stay nearby."

The enemy's barrier has been spreading and will soon envelop Yu Village. We can't let Pang Qi appear here.

"Yes," Luo Xie replied, knowing the importance of his grandfather's task. He quickly turned to instruct his subordinates to collect chicks. Everyone was busy moving at this time, and scattered chicks were running loose in many courtyards.

The guard team collected from house to house. The homeowners were too preoccupied to care and simply waved their hands, allowing them to catch the chicks themselves.

Meanwhile, Luo Xie was uneasy and asked his grandfather, "This barrier on Companion Hill will soon cover Yu Village. I'll send someone to pick up A Xiang first. Whose house did you leave him at?"

His younger brother was only six years old, and their house stood isolated outside the village with no neighbors. If Grandpa had to go out on business, he must have left his brother with someone else. But the problem was, with everyone in and outside the village fleeing now, who could possibly look after his brother carefully?

It would be safest to keep him close.

Just then, a village couple ran past. Old Man Luo turned sideways to let them through, and then said, "Oh, the usual place."

"Aunt Liu's house?" Luo Xie asked. He himself was busy with work, and Old Man Luo also frequently went out, so the child was often entrusted to Aunt Liu in the neighboring village.

"Yes," Old Man Luo replied, looking at the chaotic scene in the village and changing the subject. "He's already settled, you don't need to worry. Are you evacuating the villagers?"

"Yes," Luo Xie replied, frowning. His grandfather had asked a question, but his tone lacked its usual expressiveness.

Old Man Luo usually coaxed his grandson and Pang Qi, often speaking with a smile and a soft, modulated voice. His intonation, cultivated over years, was melodic and varied, and it would unconsciously emerge when he spoke to his elder grandson.

"Where are you taking Pang Qi?"

"To the Wind God Temple," Old Man Luo said. "The Xuanjing cannot be left to the Sky Demon."

He Lingchuan's heart stirred upon hearing this, and he exchanged a glance with Dong Rui.

The people of Yu Village had only seen the lighthouse and didn't know exactly what was happening inside the Inverted Sea; this was a common question among Silver Pearl Island residents. Yet, as soon as Old Man Luo arrived, he accurately named the "Sky Demon." Had the Illusion Sect informed him?

As expected, Luo Xie was also startled. "Sky Demon? Is that an invading enemy?"

Before this, he only knew that the sole natural enemy of Silver Pearl Island residents was the Yaksha.

Old Man Luo gave a vague reply, coughed up a gob of thick phlegm from his throat, and spat it onto the ground.

Perhaps Luo Xie was also curious. While urging two households of villagers to hurry away, he asked him, "Did the immortal say what that thing is? How does it compare to a Yaksha?"

"Very powerful, more powerful than a Yaksha, and can fight an immortal to a draw."

Old Man Luo's voice was no longer so straightforward, but it sounded even stranger to Luo Xie. Ever since Luo Xie was taken in by the Illusion Sect, his grandfather had become more devout toward the Wind God and the Immortal Sect, burning incense and paying respects three times a day, always referring to them as "Immortal Venerable" or "Immortal Sage." How could he now casually call them "immortals"?

Yet, when he looked at his grandfather, his features hadn't changed. The blue cloth shirt he always wore was still the same one, faded from washing and patched.

The situation was critical. Elder Liu on the hillside grew impatient watching the grandfather and grandson chat. He was about to use his divine power to transmit a message to Luo Xie, but He Lingchuan raised a hand to stop him.

"Elder, wait a moment, just watch," He Lingchuan said.

Elder Liu had witnessed He Lingchuan's abilities, so he restrained himself, though he occasionally glanced at the lighthouse on Companion Hill.

The lighthouse was growing rapidly; if this continued, it would soon cover the entire mining area.

Fortunately, the guard team was quite capable. They eventually gathered twenty-six or seven live chicks, placing them in two small bamboo baskets and bringing them over to Old Man Luo.

"Grandpa, where are you going to summon Pang Qi?"

Once Pang Qi was summoned and sent all the ore to the Wind God Temple, the task would be complete.

Old Man Luo opened his mouth, his voice a beat slow. "I'll just find a random place. It doesn't like crowds or strangers."

Pang Qi was indeed a very reclusive creature. Luo Xie immediately said, "I'll go with you."

He could feel hidden murderous intent all around. How could he possibly let his grandfather walk alone at night now?

Old Man Luo pointed to the village. "Aren't you going to manage them?"

"Someone is in charge," Luo Xie replied. "They're just going to Dong Village; it's very close."

Old Man Luo grunted, "Alright, let's go."

Seeing this, He Lingchuan's gaze shifted slightly, and he suddenly asked a nearby Illusion Sect disciple, "Which of you knows Luo Xie?"

Immediately, a disciple named Pu Lu stepped forward. "He's a good friend of my son and often comes to our house to play."

"Take two more people and go find him now," He Lingchuan whispered to them. The three nodded and quickly jumped down the hillside.

He Lingchuan then signaled a few more people to go to a nearby dark spot and prepare for backup.

Meanwhile, Luo Xie finished instructing his subordinates to escort the villagers. He then went to take the basket of chicks from Old Man Luo's hand, saying, "I'll carry it for you."

"No need," Old Man Luo said, avoiding his hand. "I'm not that old yet."

After speaking, he turned and entered the mountain forest. The woods were pitch dark, with only a few slivers of moonlight filtering through the treetops.

Luo Xie quickly followed him.

Old Man Luo glanced at him sideways. "Hurry."

Too much time had already been wasted; they needed to get away from the crowd and find a secluded spot as quickly as possible.

Luo Xie was about to rush ahead to clear the path for him when, unexpectedly, the bushes rustled, and figures suddenly appeared.

He was startled, his hand gripping his saber hilt. "Who!" he demanded.

Three people appeared in front of them. The one leading stepped into the moonlight, revealing a familiar face.