"Ugh..." Tong Qingyu vomited immediately, unable to bear the sight inside Wuliu Village.
Zhang Chu was also terrified by the scene within Wuliu Village, feeling as if his hair was standing on end.
Inside Wuliu Village, almost everyone had undergone horrifying mutations.
An old woman washing clothes by the well had her face completely rotten, with terrifying worms occasionally crawling out of her eyes, making for a chilling sight.
Strangely, she seemed unaware of anything amiss, going about her task of hanging the washed clothes on a sinew rope as if she were a normal person.
Another woman, responsible for cooking, had half a leg left with only bones, limping as she walked, with pieces of rotten flesh falling to the ground.
Yet, this woman wore a satisfied and happy smile, continuously adding strange insects into the pot.
Even a few children running around the village had undergone varying degrees of bizarre changes.
One child, with a pretty face, had a black hole on his forehead, with terrifying worms squirming inside.
Another sturdy-looking little boy held some live insects in his hand, eating them as snacks.
It was too bizarre; the behavior of everyone in this small village made one's scalp tingle and stomach churn with disgust.
"How could this happen!" Tong Qingshan's expression was grim.
Tong Qingyu bent over again, retching, though he had already emptied his stomach earlier.
Beside him, Gang Zi was patting Tong Qingyu's back, showing a slightly stronger tolerance.
However, Gang Zi's face was also pale as he suggested, "Sir, perhaps we should take a detour."
Tong Qingshan didn't react as strongly, but he was filled with concern, "This corruption, could it be contagious? I think we should keep our distance."
Zhang Chu also felt uncomfortable all over, seeing the mutations on them, he couldn't help but think, what if he ended up like that...
The thought alone sent chills down his spine, making it hard to accept.
However, if they took a detour, they might not make it back to Zaoye Village before nightfall.
So Zhang Chu suppressed his discomfort and whispered, "Let's pass through quickly, don't pay attention to them."
"Alright!" Everyone turned their heads, avoiding looking at the village, and started running, eager to pass through the village in an instant.
But just then, a half-grown child suddenly appeared out of nowhere, blocking Zhang Chu and the others' path.
"Huh? Who are you?" It was a girl's voice, filled with curiosity.
Moreover, her voice was pleasant and clear, like a melodious bird in the mountains.
Zhang Chu and the others stopped abruptly, looking at the girl.
Immediately, everyone's faces turned extremely grim.
Tong Qingyu bent over again, almost vomiting, but he had already emptied his stomach earlier, so nothing came out this time.
Tong Qingshan and Gang Zi, however, raised their weapons defensively, full of vigilance.
Because the girl's face was terrifying.
The flesh on her face had fallen off, with a horrifying black worm crawling out of her facial bones and then back in.
"Don't come any closer!" Tong Qingshan said, pointing his spear at the girl who was neither human nor ghost.
Zhang Chu and the others quickly retreated, putting distance between themselves and the girl, afraid of being contaminated.
However, the girl's voice remained pleasant, like a heavenly melody, "Why are you pointing a spear at me? This is our Wuliu Village's territory!" Read this novel at novelping.com for the best experience.
Her voice even sounded a bit aggrieved.
Zhang Chu was shocked; she could communicate normally.
So Zhang Chu hurriedly said, "Qingshan, lower your spear!"
The strange girl saw the spear lowered and immediately asked in a cheerful tone:
"Are you villagers from elsewhere? Why did you come near our place?"
The situation was too bizarre; her face clearly didn't look human, yet her voice gave a sense of joy and purity.
The eerie distortion made Zhang Chu and the others extremely uncomfortable.
But Zhang Chu still tried to calm himself and asked the girl, "What happened to your face?"
The girl sighed in frustration, "Ah, I don't know what's happening. Recently, I've got some pimples on my face, and it's not pretty anymore."
But the next second, she perked up, "But my mom said it's because I'm growing up, and once I get married, my face will be fine."
"This..." Zhang Chu and the others were shocked; she actually thought of her face like that?
At this moment, the girl seriously reminded Zhang Chu and the others:
"Recently, the mountains have been unstable. Our Old Village Chief said not to go out easily, or if you encounter those outsiders or a Great Demon, it would be terrible."
"Those outsiders, many of them are ruthless killers."
The girl's voice was full of innocence, curiosity, and goodwill.
If you closed your eyes, it wasn't hard to imagine her as a beautiful and pure girl.
But opening your eyes, her face was terrifying beyond belief.
Yet Zhang Chu and the others could tell that the girl meant no harm; she was just corrupted.
At this moment, Zhang Chu and Tong Qingshan exchanged a glance, nodding to each other, not wanting to stir up trouble.
So Zhang Chu said, "Please step aside, we need to go to Mangdang Mountain!"
"Mangdang Mountain? That's far, and there's a strange python there, very powerful. Aren't you afraid of being eaten by it?" the girl's voice remained pleasant.
She seemed genuinely concerned for their safety, sounding kind-hearted.
"We know what we're doing," Tong Qingshan said, "Please let us pass."
The three of them really didn't want to pass by the girl, hoping she would make way.
Just then, a woman's voice called out, "Zhu'er, why did you run out of the village again? Didn't the Old Village Chief say the mountains are unstable lately, not to leave the village easily!"
Another perfectly normal woman's voice.
But when Zhang Chu and the others looked over, they were once again filled with horror.
This woman had half her body rotted, with one leg left with only bones and some rotten flesh hanging on, seemingly about to fall apart at any moment.
Yet, she wore a doting expression, her eyes full of love as she looked at the girl.
The girl was also concerned about her mother, "Mom, your leg illness is acting up again, don't come out, I'll go back right away."
The scene was too bizarre; closing your eyes, just listening to the voices, it was so harmonious and warm.
But opening your eyes, you saw two people in such a state.
Yet, they seemed to see themselves as normal people.
At this moment, Zhang Chu and the others didn't move recklessly, unsure of what was happening, cautiously keeping their distance. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
Just then, the hunters of Wuliu Village returned.
They were dragging a corrupted old wolf, its belly swollen with huge water blisters, with disgusting worms swimming inside.
Those hunters had also undergone terrifying mutations, the leader's arm seemingly transformed into a giant octopus tentacle.
The tentacle was incredibly strong, wrapping around the prey, dragging the corrupted wolf effortlessly.
Another hunter's neck seemed to be encircled by countless layers of blood-red swim rings, or perhaps covered with terrifying tumors.
A young man's half head was rotted, with white brain matter exposed, and terrifying black worms weaving through it.
Clearly, they should not have been able to survive, yet they were chatting and laughing, the atmosphere light and cheerful:
"Hahaha, we were really lucky this time, catching the head wolf with wolf treasure. Eating this wolf will definitely make our Wuliu Village Hunting Team stronger."
"That's right, our Wuliu Village Hunting Team's strength should now completely crush the surrounding villages."
"Being strong is good; we used to hunt all day and still not have enough meat. Now, just two hours out, and we can hunt more meat than we can eat!"
"But the mountains have been unstable lately, those outsiders are so annoying, fighting all the time!"
"Yeah, it's still better in the village, the Willow Tree God can protect us."
...
The laughter and chatter grew closer, and these corrupted hunters also noticed Zhang Chu and the others.
They, like the mother and daughter, showed great goodwill towards Zhang Chu.
The man with the octopus arm, evidently the Hunting Team leader, even recognized Tong Qingshan:
"Huh? You're from Zaoye Village, right? How did you end up here, it's not a short distance."
Tong Qingshan stepped back a few steps, explaining, "We're heading to Mangdang Mountain, not here for hunting."
The man with the octopus arm immediately said, "Oh? You're going to Mangdang Mountain, that's not an easy place!"
Then he looked at the sky, "You better hurry, if it's past noon, you might not make it back to Zaoye Village before dark."
Another person shouted in a hearty voice:
"Hey, even if you can't make it back to Zaoye Village, don't worry, you can stay in our Wuliu Village for the night, it's just an extra pair of chopsticks!"
Others chimed in, "That's right, if you come back late at night, stay in our Wuliu Village!"
"Heroes of Zaoye Village, you seem steady and skilled, we have many beautiful girls in Wuliu Village, if you're interested, see if you can make a good match!"
"Haha, I think Zhu'er is of marriageable age, the little girl is blocking the way, not letting them leave!"
"Yes, Zhu'er should get married too."
...
These people conversed normally, laughing and joking, as if they were completely unaware of their abnormality.
Zhang Chu and the others were filled with horror, unable to join the conversation.
It was too bizarre!
If Zhang Chu and the others weren't so composed, they might have screamed in terror by now.