A red light suddenly flashed in the center of the village, and immediately afterward, more and more figures gathered toward the source of the glow.
This is strange. When we checked during the day, there was clearly not a single person here. Where did these figures come from?
The confusion in Shi Yu’s heart grew like a rolling snowball. He reached out to pull the door open to take a closer look.
The little fox, which had been staying to the side, suddenly moved. It jumped rapidly to Shi Yu’s side and extended its small paws to grab tightly onto the corner of his robe.
Shi Yu looked down at the little fox, seeing a glimmer of anxiety and fear in its intelligent eyes, as if it were preventing him from going out.
“Don’t go out, don’t go out! They are very scary!”
The little fox’s tone was filled with terror, its claws gripping Shi Yu’s sleeve tightly, refusing to let go.
“Do you know what is going on with them?”
Seeing the terrified expression on the little fox, Shi Yu gently closed the door. However, the little fox seemed to feel that was not enough and said anxiously, “Block the door. They will break in.”
Hearing this, Shi Yu raised his eyes and gestured toward Mo Yuan.
With perfect tacit understanding, both of them formed seals simultaneously, skillfully using magic to set up intricate arrays on the door and the ground.
“Do not worry. We have sealed the door. They cannot get in.”
Shi Yu gently stroked the little fox’s head, softly soothing its restless emotions.
The little fox’s rapid breathing gradually calmed down, though the corners of its eyes were slightly reddened.
“Little fox, what exactly happened here?”
Mo Yuan, realizing the gravity of the situation, dropped his previous playful attitude and asked with a solemn face.
The little fox simply lowered its head without answering. Suddenly, a flash of white light appeared, and it transformed back into the form of a young child.
Shi Yu spoke with a soothing tone as he draped his cloak back over the child. “Can you first tell me your name, please?”
“I do not have a name. Mother called me Ah Jiu.”
No name? This child looked to be about five or six years old; why was he never named?
Shi Yu masked the confusion in his eyes and continued to listen intently to Ah Jiu.
“Starting the day after my mother was taken away, people in the village kept getting sick. Those who fell ill would die within a day.”
Ah Jiu’s voice was choked with sobs, his story fragmented.
“Not even two days later, almost everyone in the village had fallen ill. The neighboring village also experienced the same situation.”
“My mother was sent back, but she died the very next day. Later, everyone in the village died, and I was the only one left.”
Ah Jiu’s whimpering cries emanated from his throat, as if he had suffered immense pain.
“Then why does it become like this at night?”
Mo Yuan listened to the strange movements outside and asked calmly.
“Ah Jiu does not know. As soon as night falls, they gather together as if they were still alive.”
Ah Jiu lowered his head, his tears hitting the ground like broken pearls.
“My mother does the same, but no matter how much Ah Jiu calls for her, she does not respond.”
Shi Yu wiped the tear stains from Ah Jiu’s face and comforted him. “Ah Jiu, stop crying. We will definitely find the truth and avenge your mother, okay?”
Mo Yuan stood to the side, his expression dark and unreadable after hearing the whole story.
Ah Jiu must not have eaten his fill in a long time; his body was very weak. After crying for a little while, he fell back asleep.
Shi Yu set down the Ah Jiu he was holding and walked over to Mo Yuan.
He keenly sensed that Mo Yuan’s mood was off. “Are you not feeling well?”
“It is nothing.”
Mo Yuan turned back, his eyes carrying a hint of sorrow, yet he still indicated that he was fine.
Seeing that he had no intention of saying more, Shi Yu did not press the matter and changed the subject.
“What do you think is going on with those people?”
Mo Yuan lowered his head in thought for a moment before answering.
“So many people dying at the same time cannot simply be an epidemic. Someone must be manipulating things from the shadows.”
Listening to Mo Yuan, Shi Yu nodded slightly. “It must be the person Zemian Zun mentioned: Prince Bo.”
Mo Yuan lowered his head thoughtfully. “According to the information provided by Zemian Zun, Prince Bo is a man of Prince Shi Yi. What on earth are they trying to do?”
“I do not know. Ah Jiu said the person who sounds like me must be Shi Yi, but the fact that they took Ah Jiu’s mother is very strange. Why would they take her and then release her?”
Shi Yu took out the note and looked carefully at the name on it, but he still could not make sense of it.
“Ah Jiu must be a fox demon, and his mother must be one too. Yet, they specifically took only his mother.”
Mo Yuan turned around slowly and looked at Ah Jiu, a complex look flashing across his eyes.
Shi Yu walked to the door and carefully opened a narrow crack to see what was happening outside, but he was suddenly confronted by a pair of scarlet eyes. Although they were devoid of any spirit, they stared straight at Shi Yu.
Shi Yu was so startled that he stepped back, his heart beating rapidly.
“A-Yu, what is wrong?”
Seeing Shi Yu’s expression, Mo Yuan hurriedly grabbed his hand and pulled him back.
“It is nothing. It is just that there was someone with blood-red eyes standing at the door just now.”
Shi Yu steadied his nerves and replied calmly.
Mo Yuan looked toward the door, but there was no longer any figure there.
His tone remained filled with worry. “These people are very strange. Let us stay here tonight.”
Shi Yu nodded in agreement. Perhaps because the array was effective, aside from that one episode, the three of them rested reasonably well that night.
Shi Yu woke up early in the morning and heard movements outside, but when he looked around, he did not see Mo Yuan.
Just after stepping outside, he saw Mo Yuan, who had found a pot from somewhere, boiling rice porridge.
“Where did this pot come from?”
Shi Yu crouched beside Mo Yuan to help him, a slight smile on his lips.
“I found it in the village. Did that little brat not have enough to eat? I am making some for him to eat so he stops fainting in your arms every time.”
Mo Yuan and his sharp tongue; even when he meant well, he could make it sound like he was annoyed. He was truly quite prideful.
Hearing Mo Yuan’s explanation, Shi Yu continued to help with a smile in his eyes.
When the porridge was ready, Ah Jiu suddenly ran out of the room.
Shi Yu, holding a bowl, saw Ah Jiu’s hurried appearance and asked with concern, “What is the matter, Ah Jiu?”
To everyone’s surprise, the little fox leaped onto Shi Yu, catching Mo Yuan off guard.
“What are you doing, little ghost? Get down from A-Yu immediately.”
As Mo Yuan reached out to pull Ah Jiu off, Shi Yu stopped him. Mo Yuan could only glare at Ah Jiu in annoyance and did not interfere again.
“Ah Jiu thought Gege did not want me anymore.”
Ah Jiu started crying again, rubbing his tears and snot all over Shi Yu’s clothes.
Mo Yuan hurriedly pulled him aside and said with a cold face, “Little brat, it is bad enough that you love to cry, but you have no hygiene. Go stay over there.”
With that, Ah Jiu was tossed to the side.
Shi Yu looked at his soiled clothes, immediately waved his hand to cast a cleaning spell, and then pointed at the two troublemakers, saying with a hint of irritation.
“Enough, stop the nonsense and hurry up and eat.”
“Heh, you little shrimp woke up at the perfect time. The porridge is just finished.” Mo Yuan still did not give Ah Jiu a pleasant look.
“Bleh!”
Ah Jiu made a face at Mo Yuan and then followed Shi Yu, ignoring that childish person.
The two of them seemed to be at daggers drawn just eating a meal. As soon as Ah Jiu finished eating, he came to Shi Yu to complain.
“Gege, that person is bullying me. He is always staring at me fiercely. It is so scary.”
“You.”
Mo Yuan, following behind, had been tricked by the little brat and his expression grew even colder. He then received a sharp look from Shi Yu.
He hurriedly returned to the table, lowered his head, and silently drank the rice porridge in his hand.
Seeing his reaction, Shi Yu stopped staring at him and turned to explain gently to Ah Jiu.
“That Gege is not a bad person. The porridge you are drinking was specifically cooked for you by him. He just looks cold on the outside, but he is actually not a bad person.”
Mo Yuan, listening from the side, could not help but laugh. What he had just said was entirely true.