Chapter 20 The First Night's Dark Fog

  As the sky's color darkened, the entire Cloud Condensation Manor was enveloped in a thick layer of gloomy air.

  My chest hurts vaguely again.

  I couldn't help but sit down beside him, covering my mouth with my hand, focusing my attention and starting to meditate.

  I found this move to be very effective, during meditation my body was completely relaxed, the pain in my 'chest' area was greatly reduced, my third eye was in its best state, I could clearly observe the changes in my surroundings, even the situation at the entrance of Yun Cong Mountain Villa was clear as day.

  The little fox was trembling behind Mr. Zhuo, its paws tightly grasping Mr. Zhuo's thigh.

  The seven-colored bird was very obedient and landed beside me when I was meditating, without making any more noise.

  Mr. Zhuo took out a few pieces of paper from his backpack and stood there concentrating on drawing symbols.

  Tonight there is no moon, and the stars in the sky are also obscured by dark clouds. As time passes, the yin energy becomes heavier.

  I don't know how long it took, but my chest started hurting again. I could see a black mist slowly drifting in from the entrance of Yun Cong Mountain Villa.

  In the middle of that black air, there was a pair of eyes, bright red, which appeared exceptionally piercing in the pitch-black night.

  I shuddered and opened my eyes to look at Mr. Zhuo.

  Mr. Zhuo also seemed to feel the surge of that black mist, and asked me seriously: "What did you see?"

  "I saw a black mist coming this way, and it seemed to be wrapping something inside." I replied.

  Mr. Zhuo furrowed his brow, as if pondering what that dark-colored mist was.

  The little fox spoke up at this time, saying: "I saw that black fog rushing into a monster's home when I got out of bed to play at night, and the next day that monster was dead!"

  Mr. Zhuo heard this and asked me to look at the direction in which that black mist was flowing again.

  I turned my head to look outside, and the sky eye automatically opened. I saw that black mist slowly drifting over in this direction along the stairs.

  I told Mr. Zhuo what I saw, and Mr. Zhuo immediately threw out a few talismans and stuck them on the door frame, muttering incantations: "Nuonuogu, left with three stars, right with three locks, heaven and earth overturned, all nine paths blocked, making you lose your mind, from now on 'confused' 'dazed', east as west, south as north, those who pursue me will never be able to get me. Bright star North Dipper, feet closed for a thousand miles, six jia reversed, not avoiding disaster!"

  As the incantation fell, the Taoist symbols formed a barrier that covered up all our breaths inside the house.

  I saw that black mist stop moving, as if hesitating where the breath I felt earlier was.

  Mr. Zhuo smiled and handed me a few more talismans, saying: "If you encounter any danger again later, just recite the incantation I said earlier."

  I received the Taoist symbol, and I felt a little uncomfortable in my heart.

  I have been following Mr. Zhuo for some time now, but I haven't learned how to draw talismans. Each time, I rely on Mr. Zhuo, and it makes me feel useless.

  Mr. Zhuo looked at me staring blankly at the Taoist symbol, as if he could read my mind, and whispered: "After we've dealt with the Yun Cong Mountain Villa matter, I'll teach you how to draw talismans."

  My eyes lit up and I happily hugged the Taoist symbol, saying: "Then thank you, Master!"

  I put away the Dao symbol and then observed that black mist again.

  That black fog couldn't find our exact location, so we had to search room by room.

  Those houses are quite a few, and it's probably daytime to find us here.

  The black fog might have been looking for trouble, and it actually started to catch fire when it was searching the tenth house, and began to destroy the house as well.

  I saw that black mist, as soon as it came into contact with the house, the entire house was completely corroded into a pair of rotten wooden heads.

  "I hastily said to Mr. Zhuo: 'That black fog seems to be able to corrode houses.'"

  Mr. Zhuo frowned and said, "This is terrible! I only set up a barrier at the 'door' and didn't set one on top of the house. If the house collapses, we'll be exposed!"

  "What should I do?" I asked anxiously.

  Mr. Zhuo thought for a moment and said, "If we knew what was inside this black fog, we could find a solution, but now it's unclear whether it's a monster or a ghost."

  "How can we determine what it is?" I asked again.

  Mr. Zhuo sighed and looked worried, saying: "It must be made to appear from the black fog, and it takes a lot of sharp eyesight to do so."

  I rolled my eyes, stood up and walked to the 'door' boundary, lightly touched the boundary with my finger, turned around and asked very seriously: "How do I get out of this boundary?"

  Mr. Zhuo immediately understood my idea, grabbed my arm and anxiously said: "No! It's too dangerous! You can't go out!"

  "Now there's only this way!" I took a glance at the slowly moving black mist, my eyes firm as I said, "Master, quickly open the seal, I definitely won't get hurt, after all, I have the Seven-Colored Bird."

  Mr. Zhuo was still hesitant, and I continued: "If we all stay here, in the end we can only wait for death!"

  Mr. Zhuo reluctantly opened the boundary and said: "Be careful!"

  I nodded and walked out, that black air was suddenly attracted by the aura on me, moving towards me.

  The seven-colored bird on my shoulder was originally idle and observing everywhere, but suddenly felt something, and its eyes became vigilant.

  I moved a few steps forward, and that black fog had already moved several steps away from me.

  The seven-colored bird flew towards the sky and turned into a size similar to that of a football field, almost covering the entire sky of Yun Cong Mountain Villa.

  That mass of black fog halted a few steps away from me, its bright red eyes scanning me up and down as if searching for some weakness.

  My heavenly eye vaguely saw that thing shrouded in a black mist, seemingly a skull.

  It had no body, only a withered skull, and at the moment it saw me, its teeth were still grinding "giggle giggle".

  To further determine what this was, I had the Rainbow Bird blow away the black mist surrounding it.

  The seven-colored bird flapped its wings and immediately a strong wind blew around, several wooden houses were blown into the sky.

  I barely managed to stand up straight, but saw that the black mist didn't move at all!

  I retreated behind the Rainbow Bird and signaled it to increase its strength.

  The seven-colored bird exerted all its strength to flap its wings several times, causing the entire Cloud Condensation Manor's trees to shake violently, but that black mist remained motionless.

  What on earth is this thing?!

  I found that the black air near this group does not hurt the chest, which means it is neither a killing air nor a yin air.

  The black fog looked at me and suddenly pounced on me with eyes that had turned bright red.

  I dodged the attack of the black fog with a flip, and the black fog hit a large tree beside me. The entire tree instantly turned into a ball of black pus!

  I swallowed my saliva, took out the talisman from my bosom, and when that black fog came again, I shouted "Ji Ji Ru Lü Ling" and stuck the talisman on its forehead.

  But when his hand touched the spot on its forehead, he didn't feel any sensation, and the Dao symbol fell to the ground.

  The black fog took advantage of the situation and attacked, I didn't have time to dodge, my arm was grazed by the black fog, my clothes suddenly ripped open a big hole, even the skin on my arm turned slightly red.

  If it doesn't stick, then run!

  I immediately called back the big bird and turned around to run.

  I cannot go back to Mr. Zhuo and Xiao Hu Li's house, because this will definitely implicate them.

  The only way is to run down the mountain!

  I gazed at the slightly brightening sky and calculated that it would be dawn in about ten or twenty minutes.

  As long as I can avoid being attacked by him before dawn, there's no problem!

  Thinking of this, I quickened my pace.

  The black fog behind chased after me relentlessly, and it seemed to be running even faster than I was.

  The seven-colored bird flew while observing the black fog behind, suddenly made up its mind and pecked at my collar, throwing me onto its back, then flapped its wings to fly.

  The speed of the black fog can't keep up with the seven-colored bird after all, now I'm at ease.

  But just in case, she still clutched the talisman tightly.

  I turned around and found that the black fog had disappeared.

  I thought the black fog had given up chasing me, just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, that black fog suddenly appeared in front of me, its eyes even redder than before, and it let out a "heh heh heh" laugh!

  I don't care about anything, I throw out a Taoist symbol and shout: "Hurry up like an imperial decree!"

  However, the Taoist symbol was ineffective against this black mist. The black mist did not dodge or evade, and just as the symbol was about to make contact with it, it turned into a piece of paper and floated down.

  The seven-colored bird immediately turned its head and continued to fly, and that black fog accurately appeared in front of us again! As the sky was about to brighten up, why didn't this thing disappear?!

  I became even more anxious and threw out all the talismans in my pocket, reciting the incantation that Mr. Zhuo used to set up the boundary earlier.

  A barrier was formed around me and the Rainbow Bird, our auras hidden within.

  The dark fog seemed to have lost its direction and stopped there without attacking this way again.

  I and the Rainbow Bird waited silently for dawn inside the boundary.

  Time seemed to have slowed down to a standstill, and the sky finally brightened up. The barrier around me also disappeared in an instant when the sky lit up.

  The black fog sensed our breath and was about to attack again, but its body completely disappeared the moment it was exposed to sunlight.

  I feel like all the energy in my body has been drained away, lying motionless on the Rainbow Bird's sorrow.

  Mr. Zhuo also rushed out of the boundary to look for me, and the rainbow bird landed beside Mr. Zhuo.

  I fell off the rainbow bird because my 'legs' were a bit soft and I landed directly on the ground.

  Mr. Zhuo helped me up and asked what had happened last night.

  I waved my tired hand: "That's a skull with only a head, and the talisman has no effect on it. The black mist around it can't be blown away at all."

  Mr. Zhuo's face turned solemn after hearing my account, and he said after a long while: "I'm afraid that black fog is the embodiment of that thing."