Chapter 9: The Dead City of Nangong

  The dragon's speed was several times faster than Ma Ming's, and it traveled through mountains and valleys, arriving in Nangong County just as the sky was turning dark.

  Duanmu Yang led the way, taking everyone into the town. He wanted to find that restaurant from before. But as soon as they entered, they saw that the streets were filled with mud and water everywhere. The doors and windows of the shops on both sides were crooked, and as they walked deeper, they could vaguely see human bodies under the collapsed walls. The roads were not lacking in bloated dead rats. The entire town was shrouded in an ominous atmosphere.

  Everyone involuntarily stopped in their tracks, Lu Jian was a little scared and wanted to pull Duanmu Yang's sleeve. Meng Mu saw it, covered her shoulder and hid her behind him.

  "This place has just experienced a great flood. If I'm not mistaken, there's only one stream in the east of the town, it shouldn't have such power."

  Duanmu Yan pressed the hilt of his sword, vigilantly observing the surroundings: "We've only been away from here for a night and a day, how could it rain so heavily?"

  "This isn't rain, it must be the work of evil spirits or ghosts." The dragon pointed to the mud on the side of the road: "You see, the shape of the accumulated mud indicates that the flood came from the east. Without external forces, the streams in the eastern part of town wouldn't have such a large amount of water. The mud is now dry, indicating that the water receded quickly, and at least a day has passed since then. Everything must have happened last night."

  Meng Mu looked out the window at the black hole and nodded: "At night, people are still asleep in their dreams, not thinking that the flood will come suddenly, and the whole town will be submerged in an instant, with no one able to escape. Now the town is filled with a heavy atmosphere of death, which is why there is such a depressing and sorrowful feeling."

  "Alas! You say this Dao Jing is so unlucky!"

  "Will he go with that aunt?" Lu Jian suddenly said.

  "Big Auntie, is she the middle-aged woman you were talking about?" Meng Mu suddenly asked.

  Nodding nodding.

  "Go take a look at the guest house."

  The inn was located in the center of the town, but it looked more dilapidated than anywhere else. The entire top floor had collapsed, leaving only a few walls that seemed to be on the verge of collapse amidst the rubble.

  Jiaolong's heart skipped a beat, as if he had sensed an unusual aura. This familiar sense of danger flashed by, and before he could say anything, Mengmu had already darted out towards the back of the ruins!

  Du Mu's sword was drawn and followed in pursuit.

  Something seems to be moving behind the wall corner of the ruins!

  "Ahh, oh no, it's a ghost! It's a ghost!"

  Two people crawled out of the ruins with a scream of terror.

  The dragon pulled the deer arrow back and hid, only to see Mengmu pulling out a fat man by one arm.

  This fat man was covered in mud and water, his clothes were tattered. He rolled and crawled for half a day, finally managing to sit up with great difficulty, without looking at the people beside him. At first, he wailed loudly, then after crying for a while, he started to giggle.

  "This is a man," said Momo.

  Jiaolong nodded: "Daojing is also a human being."

  "But he is not Tao Jing!" Duanmu Yan withdrew his sword.

  "It's not him, but he is a surviving villager and should know what happened here."

  Lu Jing squatted down in front of him and looked at him for a while, then turned back to ask: "Why is he laughing and crying at the same time?"

  Duanmu Chengyang pulled the deer arrow back: "It's dirty, don't get too close. This guy, I think he's probably an idiot, and it's likely that even if we ask him questions, we won't get anything out of him."

  Meng Mu smiled: "That's not necessarily true, let me try."

  After the crowd retreated, Mengmu Pan sat in front of Pangzi, pinched his fingers and muttered to himself. His chanting was very vague and light, no one could understand it. But with the chanting, a faint green glow appeared around him, like a ghost fire from the underworld, in the dark night.

  The dragon was startled and pulled the deer arrow back to its own side.

  The recitation gradually changed its tone, like the north wind howling outside the window on a winter night, making people feel cold all over, but their hearts became clearer.

  The green light on Meng Mu's body gradually transferred to Pangzi's body, slowly enveloping him completely.

  The fat boy's initial stupidity gradually gave way to a normal expression. He seemed to be in great pain, tears streaming down his face, washing away the mud and revealing two white streaks on his cheeks.

  The chanting voice stopped, and Mongmu took over Hwang's hand, absorbing the green light between their two hands.

  "Come over and ask him quickly, he is congenitally stupid, I won't be able to hold on for much longer."

  "Yesterday evening, what happened? Have you seen a sick middle-aged woman with a young boy?"

  The fat man's face showed a terrified expression, he opened his mouth and said: "Water, so much water, dead, all dead, waaahhh..."

  The dragon was shocked by these few words and couldn't speak.

  Duanmu Zhen looked at him and hastily asked: "A middle-aged woman wearing a gray cloak, a young man wearing a blue garment, have you seen them?"

  "They come to eat."

  "That's right." Du Mu Yang nodded: "Where did they go after dinner?"

  Fat boy cried out loud: "Dead, all dead, so much water, can't breathe, blue clothes are dead!"

  "Huh??"

  Lu Jian tried to grab the arm of Pangzi, but was suddenly repelled by an invisible force. His hands loosened and the green light dissipated in an instant. He sighed: "It's no use."

  Du Mu hastily helped Lu Jian up and patted the mud off her: "Are you okay?"

  Lu Jing felt somewhat bewildered: "Did I do something wrong?"

  "It's nothing" a dazed and indifferent shake of the head, immediately realizing that they weren't concerned about themselves.

  "That's all he can manage, a congenital idiot who can barely string together a few coherent sentences. Even if you try again, you won't get anything more out of him, it has nothing to do with you."

  "Is... Dao Jing really dead?"

  Meng Mu looked at the petrified Jiaolong and nodded slightly, saying in a low voice: "I'm afraid so."

  "What's going to happen? Won't that brother be heartbroken?" Lu Jian ran to Jiaolong's side, pulled his sleeve and looked up at him: "What to do, Ni Dage?"

  The dragon was filled with sorrow and regret, hating himself for being useless. If only he had known the whereabouts of Jing from the start, he would have searched more carefully and might have been able to find him, and there might have been a chance to rescue him. But because of his fear of the demon god, he went back to report to his superior, which led to his superior's great battle with the demon god.

  This time, Zun Shang not only killed his old friend but also likely to be guilty of it. Originally thought that finding Dao Jing would comfort Zun Shang, now Dao Jing...

  The situation has taken a drastic turn for the worse, what should be done?

  The dragon was unable to respond to Lu Jian's words, wanting to pat her shoulder, but even his arm was too heavy to lift.

  "What's to be done...?"

  "It's not suitable for us to stay here for long," Meng Mu sensed that a vengeful spirit was gradually taking shape in the darkness of night, "Let's..."

  "When a person is alive, you must see them; when they are dead, you must see their corpse!" Duanmu Chengyan suddenly stood up!

  His face was tense, his expression stern and murderous, yet he was staring at the python.

  The dragon flipped back and forth, reciting the spell twice before regaining its composure: "That's right, even if I die, I have to find his corpse." As it raised its right arm, a burst of flames exploded in the sky. A massive fireball floated in mid-air, illuminating half the town.

  "I'm here!" Duanmu Yan held his sword, closed his eyes and pinched his fingers together, his feet treading the seven-star position. On the ground, a formation appeared with him as the center.

  His speed was getting faster and faster, the law array gradually took shape, and it seemed that the fluctuation of air flow could be vaguely seen. At this time, he seemed to have changed into another person, no longer with the usual frowning face, nor as amiable as before. The whole person was filled with a majestic and upright aura, stern and solemn, instantly calming down the many ghostly spirits lurking around, these gray shadows making hissing sounds like snakes, rapidly retreating into the darkness.

  Duanmu Jie's figure was almost invisible as he moved swiftly, when suddenly he stopped in his tracks. The sword in his hand let out a "whooshing" sound as it flew into the air, suspended before him. His hands formed a seal, and with a sudden movement towards the ruins, a burst of clear light shot out!

  "With a clear gaze, I say: 'The heavens have spirit, the yin and yang realms are connected to me, the heavenly platform of Tai Shan, please quietly appear before me!'"

  Thus I have heard!

  No news.

  Duanmu Xiangyang had obtained the guidance of a immortal master, but his cultivation was still shallow. This soul-summoning technique was extremely exhausting and laborious. After three attempts without any response, he couldn't continue anymore.

  He put away his formation and stood still with his eyes closed, calming his spirit for a moment.

  "How?"

  Du Mu Yan looked at the expectant Jiaolong, shook his head, and resumed his previous worried expression, sighing: "Alas! Can't find it."

  "Really!" Lu Jian let out a small cheer: "Doesn't this mean that Dao Jing isn't dead?"

  "This...". Du Mu Yan looked at her with some embarrassment, then glanced at the other two people and said in a low voice: "This is not certain, the soul-calling technique is complex and intricate, my cultivation is not enough, I can't fully display it. Now the only thing that can be confirmed is that Dao Jing, whether he is himself or his soul spirit, will definitely not be within a radius of one mile in this ruin."

  Pangzi's words were unclear, and the result of Duanmu Cheng's medical treatment could not prove that Daojing was not dead.

  Still a stalemate...

  The atmosphere, which had eased somewhat, became tense again.

  "Although I didn't find Dao Jing's soul, however...” Du Mu Cheng Yang thought for a moment and said: “I sensed an unfamiliar aura, seemingly related to water, but not like Brother Nie. This aura is most pronounced on this side of the ruins, indicating that there's something down here.”

  Lu Jing and Jiao Long rekindled their hopes, both pairs of eyes gazing eagerly at Duanmu Chengyang.

  Mengmu didn't say much, in fact, since Duankou's trick, he hadn't spoken a word. At this time, he casually sat down beside the fat man who had been sleeping on the side, looking somewhat tired.

  "What is it? Let's start looking."

  Duanmu Yang looked at Jiaolong and nodded, "It doesn't matter what it is, my master once told me: 'When you want to find someone, even if you don't know what they look like, when that person appears in front of you, you will definitely know that the one you are looking for is him!'"

  "Oh dear, I'm exhausted. From this morning till now, I haven't eaten anything yet, I'm starving." A lazy and languid voice sounded.

  Lu Jing and Duanmu Chengyang's stomachs both growled in unison.

  Fighting spirit scattered...

  Jiaolong calmed down, realizing he was too impatient. Mengmu was still okay, but Lu Jian was young and Duanmuyang was a mortal. These past few days of constant travel had been exhausting, especially for Duanmuyang after his intense efforts just now. At this moment, how could he not be tired? However, despite his youth, he was eager to serve the public good, kind-hearted, and enthusiastic, making him a promising young immortal hero.

  Thinking of this, I have reduced two points of doubt, added three points of appreciation and four points of gratitude.

  "It was me who didn't think it through, you guys must be exhausted. I'll go find something to eat, you all rest here for a bit, don't wander off. Meng Mu, you're the oldest, take care of these two for a bit, I'll be right back."

  Mengmu yawned and lazily waved his hand: "Don't worry about it."